Walt's Lost Treasure
by Tessa Honeybee
Summary: In 1983 Mickey discovers a message, composed by Walt Disney during the final months of his life. The message takes Mickey and friends on what was meant to be Walt and Mickey's last adventure together. But later messages reveal the adventure is not just for fun. It's a race against time for Mickey to save a life worth more than diamonds to his father.
1. The Sorcerer and His Apprentice

December 15, 1983 12:00am

Mickey didn't need an alarm or a calendar to know the anniversary had come. Even in deep sleep, he felt it come. Just like every year on this date at the stroke of midnight, sometimes a few hours later, it hit him. The heartache, grief, sorrow, and depression came back from December of '66 and the dark gloomy months that followed. If the haunting feelings didn't wake him immediately he was plagued with nightmares. This year brought a nightmare unlike Mickey had ever seen.

 _Darkness surrounded Mickey. But it wasn't like darkness in the woods. In the woods you don't really fear the dark. You fear the unknown of what is in the dark. Mickey knew he was not in the woods where you can sense animals watching you, hear them growl and mash their teeth at you. Instead Mickey assumed he was just in a void of darkness, where he sensed nothing to be afraid of. No predators, no strangers, no ghosts. Aside from Mickey, the darkness was completely empty. And that made Mickey feel truly afraid of the dark. Not knowing what else to do, Mickey began walking forward. His father's words came to mind: keep moving forward. Maybe that would get him out of this void._

 _Some time later Mickey felt something cold drop on his head. Rain? No, snow. Mickey looked up and sure enough, infinite white dots were falling out of the darkness. Even without light, each snowflake sparkled like they kindled a star inside them. It was a beautiful moment of hope. To Mickey's surprise, the void began to change. Sure the setting that replaced it was still dark, but it was a much more natural and comforting sight. Above the toon mouse, shined a full moon, hundreds of stars, and yet it still snowed without a cloud. The moonlight illuminated fine details of a desert, then a silhouette of a building, and a pavement road. Then the darkness took its most incredible transformation. A wooden sign separated into four slats, reading 'SMOKE' 'TREE' 'RANCH' appeared, and an unforgettable voice called to Mickey._

 _"Hello, Son. It's been a while..." Mickey dropped to his knees in shock. He stared at the sign with his jaw hanging low._

 _"Walt?" the mouse toon called. "Dad?!" he cried more urgently._

 _"If you're hearing this message, it means a considerably long time has passed since my death and you still haven't taken a very thorough look at my last Christmas present to you." Walt's voice echoed. Mickey could feel his heart sink low in his chest. It was only a recording of Walt's voice; not live as he'd hoped. Still the message intrigued him. Walt's voice became urgent. "Seventeen years have passed now, Mickey. You cannot afford to delay any longer! Everything you need is already in your hands." At that moment one earthbound snowflake morphed into a metal charm. It bounced off Mickey's nose and he caught it in his hand. 'None of this makes sense.' Mickey's mind was spinning with confusion. A long forgotten gift, a quest, his late father's final wish, and the key to it all was a toy snowflake. The pale moon retreated behind a cloud and the desert landscape slowly returned to pitch black nothingness._

 _"I don't understand!" Mickey shouted at the sign. "Please! Don't leave! I need answers!"_

 _The voice did not respond. Thus the message was over. The sign became engulfed in the void and everything was dead silent. Then came that instinct feeling that told Mickey why this was happening. Today was the anniversary and Mickey had lost his father again._

 _"Dad!"_

Mickey woke with a fright. He sat up in bed, holding a hand over his pounding heart. The mouse's eyes darted back and forth till he recognized the shadows around the room. He was safe and sound in his own bedroom. To Mickey's left, a light came on and revealed a silhouette similar to his own.

"Mickey... It was only a nightmare." Mickey's eyes adjusted and he weakly smiled. He was so relieved to see her.

"Minnie." Mickey didn't need to say more. Minnie expected this routine on every anniversary. She touched his face, coaxed him to her shoulder, and stroked his back while she listened to him weep. While Minnie had moved on from Walt's passing, she still sympathized with Mickey whenever he was this distraught. But this time her husband didn't shed a tear. Mickey was silently trying to wrap his head around what just happened. He'd never had a nightmare like that before. 'Seventeen years have passed now, Mickey. You cannot afford to delay any longer!' Mickey remembered. His dreams never had such warnings. This dream had to mean something, the mouse figured. What bothered him most was that he couldn't decipher the dream's meaning; even though interpreting dreams was a skill he'd learned under the apprenticeship of Master Yen Sid.

"That's it." Mickey thought out loud. Without further explanation, Mickey left Minnie's shoulder, scooted off the bed, and raised his arms into the air. A glittering haze like red pixie dust flew from Mickey's gloves. The haze cascaded down Mickey's arms and formed two red bell sleeves. The haze continued to fall upon him and transform into Mickey's sorcerer apprentice robe. When the robe completely materialized, Mickey twirled around making sure everything was in place. His belt, his shorts, his shoes; everything was there except Yen Sid's hat. Satisfied, Mickey looked up at Minnie again. Her look of shock brought him back down to Earth. Maybe he was acting a bit rash.

"Mickey what in the world are you doing?!" Minnie cried. Mickey stepped back to the bed and took her hand.

"I need to talk to Master Yen Sid. That wasn't an ordinary dream." Mickey explained.

"At this hour?" Minnie argued.

"I have to. Dad said not to delay." He let go of her hand and tried to leave, but Minnie grabbed his sleeve forcefully. Mickey's eyes begged her to understand. Couldn't she see this was important?

"Mickey, you need to settle down." Minnie told him seriously. "You had a nightmare; just like you do every year." Mickey scowled at her with disbelief.

"No, this was different." Mickey insisted. He pulled his sleeve free from Minnie's grasp. "Dad gave me a message that was meant for me after he was gone." He paused awkwardly. "Or at least he tried to. I couldn't understand it. The point is, that's never happened before. Don't you believe me?"

"I don't want to _not_ believe you..." Minnie hesitated. "It's just..."

"Just what?" Mickey asked.

"The kids." Minnie whispered. Mickey bowed his head, deep in thought of what tomorrow, the sixteenth meant to his newly animated children. On December 16th, 1983 the short film Mickey's Christmas Carol would be released with the re-issue of The Rescuers. The United States would gaze upon the offspring of the world's number one toon, on screen for the first time. It would be a monumental event for the three Mouse children, as it should be for any toon. Toons got two birthdays a year. One for their animation date, and one for their first movie/short premiere date. Naturally Mickey and Minnie prepared a huge celebration at Disneyland after hours. Everyone would be there for the long awaited presentation of Peter, Martha, and Timothy and their official christening into the Walt Disney Company family.

"Aww I'll be back before tomorrow. You know I wouldn't miss the kids' big day for anything in the world." Mickey sweet talked. Minnie wasn't letting him go so easily. She crossed her arms in disbelief.

"Oh really? How often do your visits to Yen Sid's castle last a day? How often have your sorcery lessons turn into... magical world saving emergencies?" she lectured. Mickey had a feeling he wasn't going to win this battle. He tried to sway Minnie one last time.

"That's what I'm afraid of, Minnie. This could be really important, life changing, and..." Minnie laid down in the bed with an irritated 'hmph', and turned her back to Mickey. She was done being sweet if he was just going to ignore every word she said. Mickey was at a loss for words. He supposed this could be his chance to go. But how could he leave his sweetheart when she was so mad at him? Mickey chose his words carefully. "And... who am I to neglect my family for some nightmare?" The red apprentice robe evaporated into nothing, and Mickey crawled back into bed with his beloved wife. Minnie still didn't look at him. Instead she reached her right arm over her shoulder and offered her smallest finger.

"Promise you won't leave." she said. Mickey smiled at the gesture. Ever since they were kids, Mickey and Minnie took the vow of a pinky promise very seriously. It all dated back to 1929 when Walt taught it to Mickey. However, Mickey misunderstood the gesture as a 'Mickey promise' instead of a 'pinky promise'. Mickey taught it to Minnie as such, and the rest is history.

"Mickey promises." Mickey answered, intertwining his smallest finger with Minnie's. The two were content in each other's company again, as if all the worry and mistrust from the previous moment had never happened. But it _had_ happened, and a certain blue robed sorcerer wouldn't stand for that moment, that dream, to be ignored. Not for another seventeen years, if he could help it. Unbeknownst to the mice, the powerful sorcerer Master Yen Sid, looked down on them through an orb of water that functioned as a crystal ball over a stone cauldron. To say he was displeased with his apprentice would be understating the fact and dragging it through the mud. He was livid. The sorcerer wasted no time in casting a sleep spell on Minnie, and transporting Mickey to his castle.

A pink mist settled over Minnie as she was knocked out cold. Mickey stirred at the familiar scent of the sleep spell. But instead of submitting to it himself, the mouse was pulled from his bedroom, across dimensions, and dropped into Yen Sid's stone cauldron. The sorcerer pitifully watched his apprentice flail and splash about in three feet of water. By sheer chance, one of Mickey's arms caught onto the cauldron's edge. Instinctively the mouse pulled himself towards the rounded edge and latched his fingers around it. Now Mickey could hold his chin above the water. He coughed several times to expel all water from his lungs, and wiped the water out of his eyes with his sleeve. When he was finished, he slowly gazed up at the sorcerer towering over him. Mickey gasped and shrank back so the water splashed up to his nose. Mickey felt so embarrassed by his immediate reaction. He knew he was in trouble for something. But he also knew better than to hide from fair punishment. Mickey peeked his head fully out of the water again.

"Forgive me, Master." the mouse pleaded.

"Dry yourself off." Yen Sid commanded. Mickey swiftly scurried out of the cauldron. He noticed he was wearing his apprentice robe. Mickey fanned his fingers out and magically pulled the water from his soaked robe. The water came off in thin streams which Mickey directed into mid air to merge into one wave. He then cast the wave in an arch form over his head and back into the cauldron. The mouse was completely dry. Mickey looked over his shoulder for his master's approval, advice, or more likely a harsh smack on the head with a broom. But Yen Sid had his back to Mickey. The sorcerer was occupied with lighting candles. He waved his hand over the sticks to light the wicks. Then he motioned to random heights along the walls and sent the candles to float in their designated areas. Finally Yen Sid touched his index fingers to a star shape and a crescent moon shape on his hat. Suddenly two giant shapes flashed on the wall in blinding golden light. The light cleared and left star and moon shaped windows, showing a beautiful orange sunset. Bookshelves moved out of the bland walls, as if signaled by the windows. The walls were suddenly covered in wands, swords, potions, skulls, cards, spell books, crystal balls, carpets, cloaks, and a plethora of other colorful magical items. Now Mickey recognized the room as Yen Sid's study; the great sorcerer's sanctuary where he kept the world of magic in balance. "Come." Yen Sid ordered. Mickey ran to his master's side at the star window. The mouse expected a long lecture, but Yen Sid only stared out at the green land draped in the day's last dying light. Mickey looked too; reminding himself that there was a time difference between Yen Sid's realm and Toontown.

"Master?" Mickey timidly asked.

"You don't know why you are here, do you?" Yen Sid scolded, still not looking at Mickey.

"No, Master Yen Sid." Mickey admitted.

"And you're dreams as of late would not be any indication of why find yourself here either." Yen Sid sharply hinted. Mickey's ears perked up.

"Yeah!" Mickey exclaimed, suddenly remembering his dream. "Uh...no..I mean, Master that's what I wanted to talk to you about! I had this dream where..."

"You heard your father's voice tell you an encrypted message, and your only clue was a metal snowflake." Yen Sid recited.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Mickey questioned. Yen Sid finally looked down at Mickey and to the mouse, seemed to glare straight through Mickey's soul. Mickey stepped back. "Master?" he corrected himself. Yen Sid's expression did not change.

"Let me show you." Yen Sid explained. The sorcerer cupped his hands together, generating a white starburst of energy. It spun and radiated into an almost perfectly round form. The starburst disappeared and left in its place a very well crafted snow globe. It had train tracks run a full circle around the base. Said tracks held a metallic dark blue steam-locomotive. The sides were empty of snowy hill scenes or train station in Christmas Town scenes. Just a polished slate of silver with tiny blue snowflakes. The globe's interior itself was strange. Inside the globe was Mickey, as he was drawn in 1930, except wearing red shorts, yellow ice skates, and a blue scarf. The mouse in the globe appeared to be on a frozen pond ready to race someone. Mickey couldn't believe his eyes. He recognized this snow globe. Walt gave it to Mickey in his final days. Mickey could still remember that Christmas morning. How painful it was to open that present, knowing it was from Walt. Mickey remembered asking himself seventeen years ago, why would Walt give him a Disneyland gift shop knickknack, why was the Mickey in the globe off centered like something was missing, and WHY couldn't his dad be there for just one more Christmas?

"I thought I lost that." Mickey awed. "H-how... did you...?"

"Quiet." Yen Sid ordered. Mickey buttoned his lip instantly. The sorcerer touched the top of the globe with his thumb. A silver snowflake, the same snowflake from Mickey's dream, was revealed after Yen Sid lifted his thumb. A blizzard brewed inside the snow globe, causing the Mickey figurine to disappear in the white. Suddenly a familiar voice spoke from the snow globe. It was obviously a recording, due to the faint crackling sounds between the speaker's words.

"Hello Mickey. Congratulations for activating the snow globe. This will be your guide through our last adventure together; our final huzzah to thirty-eight years as partners. Roy, Ubbe, myself, and many others have composed a quest for you and me. Most of the journey will be in Toontown. Minnie and the gang can join us if they wish. However I must stress, this is no picnic scavenger hunt. You will face trials of terror, greed, and sacrifice. All of which will lead you to a grand reward. It's not a sentimental time capsule I stowed away for you. It is a treasure stolen from our family a long time ago, and I would give anything to have that treasure back. Heck, I would even sell the park! Do me the honor, Son. Find that treasure.

You'll notice that this snow globe has a train and a number combination lock on the bottom. To make the train light up, move the numbers to the appropriate combination and touch the snowflake to receive the next clue. Our quest is over when the all lights in the train are on and the whistle sounds. What happens after that is up to you alone. Now you have everything you need in your hands. Start on Main Street. Let's begin."

The snow storm subsided and the snow globe became clear again. Mickey was left breathless. Was this just another crazy dream? He looked down to find he was standing on a carpet designed with zigzag lines and intricate diamond patterns. A square meditation cushion also laid at his feet. Yen Sid teleported himself to his knees on a cushion at the other side of the carpet. He then placed the snow globe on the floor between his apprentice and himself. The sorcerer spoke, catching Mickey's attention again.

"I suggest you make yourself comfortable, my apprentice. There is a lot of tale to tell, and little time to tell it."


	2. Mickey's Christmas Kids

"What does this mean, Master?" Mickey asked, sitting down on the meditation cushion. "Is there really a treasure?"

"There may not be one left if you do not listen." Yen Sid warned. Mickey bowed his head apologetically. "This is no ordinary snow globe, Mickey. It is an enchanted device I crafted myself. Ever since its creation, it has been guarded by many toons skilled in the magical arts. Walt's message is true. He expected you and he to share this quest together; a 'final hazzah to thirty-eight years as partners' as he put it." Yen Sid explained. Then his tone turned especially cold. "He also expected you to discover the snow globe's secret many years sooner." Mickey felt so ashamed of himself. That was why his master was so displeased to see him. The mouse had a dream foretelling of this urgent situation he'd unknowingly put off for seventeen years, and he chose to ignore it. The sorcerer read Mickey's mind and answered "The quest can be completed without Walt, but only if you and your friends follow all of his instructions. Also if you only learn one thing from your dream, let it be that you are very short on time..."

"Master Yen Sid, may I speak?" Mickey pleaded. Yen Sid grew tired of these interruptions, but nodded anyway. "How did you know about my dream, Master?" Mickey questioned.

"It was I who sent you the dream. I have discovered some... terrible news concerning the treasure." The sorcerer's gaze left the mouse and fell to the snow globe. Mickey could see a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I fear, if Walt's treasure is not found in nine days it will cease to exist."

"Nine days? That's Christmas Eve!" Mickey exclaimed. A feeling of dread came over him. 'Oh no, what am I gonna tell Minnie? We have to go on a treasure hunt for nine days, miss the kids' birthday celebration, _and Christmas_? Why Christmas? Why now?' Yen Sid gave Mickey his usual solemn stare. That thought was the straw that broke the camel's back. The sorcerer would not tolerate this sort of thinking. Yen Sid rose to his feet and telepathically lifted Mickey into the air. The mouse let out a frightened yelp, as a magic force yanked him upward, face to face with Yen Sid.

"I am aware this is inconvenient for you, but your schedule is no longer your concern. Until you find the treasure you will devote all your time and resources to fulfilling Walt's last wishes!" Yen Sid roared. "I don't know how else to get through to you Mickey! Walt is gone, but what happens to the treasure still affects your living family!" Now the sorcerer forcefully grabbed Mickey by the arms. His large hands felt every tremor in his apprentice's upper body. "If you will not act on this for your father, you must do so for yourself. At this time you cannot imagine what you are about to lose in nine days!"

Mickey closed his eyes, fearing what punishment awaited him. The many years Mickey had learned sorcery from Yen Sid, were equal to the many years Mickey had learned to fear/respect Yen Sid and submit to his every rule and custom. A broom's whack at his tail, a hand's smack on the back of his head, scrubbing the tower's walls for hours; those were all common punishments. But now Mickey truly feared Yen Sid would do something that would really leave a mark. Mickey had to wonder if he deserved whatever was coming to him. He ignored Yen Sid's dire message, spoke out of turn a few times, and continually doubted Yen Sid... possibly doubted Walt. That made up Mickey's mind. He opened his eyes to face his master with some dignity, only to find Yen Sid no longer suspended him in midair. Mickey was standing firmly on the floor with the snow globe in his hands. Yen Sid stood a few feet away, no longer seething with anger. The sorcerer and his apprentice looked into each other's eyes with an equal understanding of one another. Mickey humbly bowed his head.

"I won't let you down, Master." Mickey vowed. "And I promise I'll do it for Walt." he added. Yen Sid held out his hand illuminated the whole room in a dark blue hue. Suddenly everything moved in fast forward passed Mickey. He saw Yen Sid fade into the blue and Yen Sid's study zoomed forward.

"The first code is 080628." Yen Sid's voice echoed.

Mickey stood perfectly still as blurred images of the tower flew by. The blurry and stretched out land marks became darker and less recognizable, until Mickey could only see a foggy kaleidoscope of dark colors surrounding him. The red, orange, and pink colors of the sunset was gone. Mickey felt a violent lurch in whatever was transporting him. The mouse stumbled and fell face first on... carpet. The ordinary tufted carpet in his bedroom. Mickey looked over his shoulder to see Minnie fast asleep in bed. Other things to note were that Mickey's sorcerer robe had vanished, the covers laid far over Mickey's side of the bed, his pillow rested on the floor, and his alarm clock on his bedside table read the time 12:00 pm. and not a minute later. It certainly looked like he'd been dreaming all along, and conveniently woken when he'd fallen out of bed. But Mickey was beyond convincing himself it was all a dream. Besides, the snow globe laid on its side just a few feet away. Mickey quickly picked up the snow globe. He knew he and the gang had to get started right away. Then again, it was midnight. The Sensational Six would have to start their quest in the morning when they were awake and alert. Mickey pondered the idea for a moment, before shaking the temptation off. No! This had to begin now!

Three doors down from Mickey and Minnie's room, passed a blue bedroom, the upstairs family room, and hall closet, there was a pink bedroom fit for a young girl, about nine years old. Said pink bedroom in fact did belong to a young girl. Her name was Martha Mouse, the middle child and only daughter to Mickey and Minnie. Despite Martha being something of an oddity in the family during the day, Martha was relatively normal at night. Brushing her teeth before bedtime, going to sleep at a decent hour, dreaming of pink elephants painting her mother's white roses red...

"Well that was a new one." Martha breathed, waking with a start. She reached under her pillow for her diary. She decided to draw her dream instead of write it down this time. Under the date and time, Martha began a quick sketch of a pink elephant holding a paint brush with its trunk. However something down the hall distracted her. Something peculiar caught her ear. She decided to investigate. The young mouse left her bed and diary, and tip toed to her slightly opened bedroom door. She peeked out into the hall and spotted a light coming from under the master bedroom door. Curiosity pushed her to get closer, but she couldn't linger outside her parents' room with her ear to the wall. That was too risky. She figured she'd have to spy from her little brother's room. Martha picked up her pink nightgown so it wouldn't drag on the carpet, and dashed for the blue room that shared a wall with the master bedroom. She twisted the knob as quietly as she could, and slipped in.

The room was decorated for a typical six year old boy; a twin size bed covered in blue and purple squared quilts, a toy chest, a night light, toy planes hanging on wires from the ceiling, sky blue painted walls with giant wall sticker letters spelling out 'TIMOTHY', and so on. Martha hopped up on the bed, and leaned against the wall. A mouse even smaller than her and clothed in space themed pajamas, stirred from underneath the blankets. He emerged and looked at Martha groggily.

"Martha?" the tiny mouse whispered. "What are you doing?"

"Shhh! I'm trying to hear." Martha hushed.

"Trying to hear Mom and Dad snore?" Timothy guessed.

"No, silly! I heard a noise earlier, like a... whooshing sound." Martha tried to clarify. "Didn't you hear anything?"

"I was sleeping." Timothy yawned. With that, Timothy rolled over and almost instantly drifted off again if it weren't for Martha's persistence.

"Tim, I know I heard something." Martha insisted, while she shook her brother awake. "Listen." she ordered, putting her ear to the wall once more. Timothy crawled out of the blankets and did the same. Sure enough, Timothy did hear a noise. His parents were talking. However the two Mouse children couldn't pick out any distinct words. The walls were too thick and the voices were too quiet. But from what they could hear, it seemed their parents' conversation was not going well. Their mother especially sounded... what was the word? Agitated.

"Are they fighting?" Timothy asked. Martha immediately shook her head. Of course she was thinking the same thing, but didn't want to worry her little brother. Then the distinctive mouse voices were silenced by a new voice. It sounded so mature, so human, so not-like-a-funny-animal-toon. Strangely when the human voice began speaking Martha could hear it as if the wall came down and she, Mickey, and Minnie all stood in the same room. Martha knew that voice, from home videos and T.V. specials. She recognized that friendly voice that was deepened from a lifetime of smoking. "They turned on the T.V." Timothy shrugged. Martha knew Timothy couldn't identify the voice or understand its message. 'If only he knew.' Martha pondered. The human voice was gone, and the married toons continued talking for a few minutes. Martha scooted away from the wall and ignored the faint mumbling sounds on the other side. She needed a moment to take all this in. Did that really just happen? Was she insane? Timothy had since tucked himself back into bed and closed his eyes. 'Obviously he's not going to lose much sleep over this conspiracy.' Martha mused.

The master bedroom door slid open. Light footsteps treaded into the hall. Martha leapt to the door and anxiously waited for her parents to pass by Timothy's bedroom. The footsteps hastened down the stairs and Martha knew the coast was clear. She opened the door and crawled to the head of the stairs, and the row of pillars that gave the second a balcony view of the first floor. There she had a clear view of the front door, the dining room, and her father's study. If she stayed low and didn't raise her head above the railing, Mickey and Minnie wouldn't see her at any angle; especially if they weren't looking for her in the dark. She was completely invisible to everyone. That is, until a gloved hand grabbed her ankle.

"Hah!" the unknown figure shouted. Martha nearly jumped out of her skin in shock. She flipped over onto her side, ready to swat something off her. Her face turned bright pink when she saw the mouse, just an inch taller than her, trying to stifle his laughter. The shirtless mouse clothed in only orange pajama pants was her rough-n'-tough, smug, older brother.

"Peter! You're lucky I didn't scream!" Martha cried.

"You should have seen your face!" Peter laughed. Martha grabbed her brother by the ear and pulled him down to her level. "Ow! Geeze, what's the big idea?" Peter whined.

"Keep your voice down. You're gonna get me in trouble." Martha commanded.

"You're getting _yourself_ in trouble. I'm just an innocent bystander getting a glass of water." Peter shot back. He arched his back to sit up again, but Martha grabbed his ear and anchored him.

"Get down! They'll see us." Martha hissed. Peter was about to ask 'Who?' when Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto entered the main lobby area. Mickey noticeably caressed a snow globe in his hands. Martha's jaw dropped. The trio on the main floor was dressed up to brave the winter weather; including Pluto who wore earmuffs and a scarf. 'Now where are they going?' Peter wondered.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Mickey? What if the kids wake up while we're gone?" Minnie fretted.

"Don't worry, Min. They'll sleep through the night. We'll explain the situation to the gang at Walt's apartment, look for one clue, and we'll be home again before the sun's up." Mickey assured. Peter gave a sly smile. 'Thank you, Dad for that exposition.'

"I just feel terrible about leaving them without a sitter." Minnie admitted. "But if our family's fate depends on that treasure as you say, then I'm with you." She declared.

"Thanks doll. That means a lot to me." Mickey said. "Here." He carefully placed the snow globe in Minnie's purse. "Keep it safe for me?" Mickey requested. Minnie nodded. Mickey held the door open for his love, then exited the house with Pluto at his heels. None of them ever suspected they were being watched or that their quiet and sleepy house wouldn't remain so for long.

"Holy Havilah!" Martha hollered, and jumped up with joy. "The snow globe's real! It's really REAL! I can't believe it!" she babbled, excitedly pacing back and forth. Peter cautiously stood up, half expecting his sister to pull his ear again. He gave Martha the strangest look.

"What... bizarre... fantasy is playing out in your head this time?" Peter asked.

"This is so incredible!" Martha went on. Her jittery pacing slowed into dream-like twirling about. "A thrilling mystery tying a forgotten past into the present. A discovered wish showing a treacherous dark path that eventually leads to the ultimate glory. A treasure greater than anything we've ever dreamed of. AND... it's going to save our family." Martha finally paused. "Golly, I should write a book about this!" Peter stopped Martha's twirling and shook her shoulders.

"Earth to Martha! Come in Martha! We're losing you again." Peter called close to her face. Martha shrugged him off.

"You have to get dressed. Timothy too. I'll get us a ride to Grandpa Walt's apartment." Martha chatted. Peter groaned in frustration. "Hey!" Martha yelled. "Do you want to stay home like a goody-two-shoes, or do you wanna find that treasure?" Peter would admit she had a point, even if she was out of her mind. He sighed.

"Fine. I'm in."


	3. Moving Night

While the Mouse children busily planned their escape, Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto hadn't even left the driveway yet. One look at Mickey's red jalopy buried up to its hood in snow, extinguished all hopes of driving anywhere.

"Don't worry, Minnie." Mickey said throwing a portable hole on the snow. "This'll save us some time." Thus, Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto jumped into the portable hole Mickey presumed would lead to Donald Duck's house at 1313 Webfoot Street, Duckburg Toontown. However the mouse's calculations were a bit off. The trio fell out of the portable hole and stopped at the precise distance they assumed the ground would be at. A winter storm brewed around them. Mickey scanned the current view of Duckburg through the falling snow and flying branches. "That's funny. I don't remember Duckburg having a peak like this. And where's Donald's house?" Mickey pondered out loud. Pluto sniffed the 'ground' and circled around Mickey and Minnie, in search of Donald. Minnie was first to realize what was wrong.

"Mickey... I found Donald's house." Minnie quivered. Mickey excitedly turned to her.

"You have? Where?" Mickey asked. Minnie only pointed downward. Mickey slowly looked down. He nearly lost his footing right there as he got a bird's eye view of Donald's snow covered roof and yard. Mickey shakily tilted his head back up. All he could say was "Uh-oh." Just like that the footing the toon mice thought they had was gone, as they plummeted out of the sky. Minnie and Mickey instinctively grabbed each other. 'It must be a hundred foot drop!' Mickey overestimated. He closed his eyes. Suddenly a thick, cold, mass of snow hit Mickey's face and soaked his body straight through the coat. The snow paralyzed him for a moment, like an icy stab in... everywhere. Mickey and Minnie struggled to lift their heads out of the mouse shaped craters they'd made in the snow. Their first sight was Donald's silhouette standing at the lighted, open, front doorway.

"Mickey! Minnie!" the duck exclaimed. Then Donald got a look at the snow covering half of Mickey's face, and hanging off his chin. "Ah! Wah-wah-wah-wah!" Donald cackled. "Looks like Santa Clause came early!"

"Donald! Quit fooling around and get them inside!" Daisy shouted from over his shoulder. She threw a comforter in his face and rushed outside with another. Daisy helped Minnie to her feet and wrapped her in the comforter, while Donald sheepishly followed behind. The girls walked passed him, Minnie shaking like a leaf, and Daisy promising her coffee and a warm fireplace. Donald looked at Mickey. The mouse stood on his own, though hunched over with his arms crossed over his chest, and his nose buried in his wrists. He violently shivered like Minnie.

"Ah-I'm sorry Mickey." Donald stuttered, throwing the comforter over Mickey's shoulders. Mickey nodded. Donald put a hand on Mickey's shoulder to lead him indoors. But Mickey objected.

"Wait. Where's Pluto?" He asked.

"Haven't seen him." Donald shrugged. At that moment Mickey and Donald caught sight of the missing hound. Pluto was still walking in the air, following his nose. He paced two more circles above the house. Then Pluto wandered to Donald's roof, walked straight down the wall, and plowed his nose through the deep snow, until he came to Donald's feet. Pluto sniffed up Donald's front.

"Ruff! Ruff!" Pluto barked happily. He stood on his hind legs and gave Donald's face a slobbery lick. While Donald wiped his beak and quacked his displeasure, Pluto looked to Mickey for an acknowledgement or reward. Mickey smiled and shook his head.

"Good dog, Pluto." Mickey sighed.

 _Later..._

"That's why we need you to come to Walt's apartment tonight." Mickey said after a long retelling of the night's events. The five of them sat on the living room floor encircling the snow globe. Mickey and Minnie of course had their backs to the fireplace. Throughout Mickey's snow globe tale, Pluto was actually most interested, since he hadn't received much explanation back at home.

"I wanna hear that recording. C'mon. What are we waiting for?" Donald announced. Mickey could see straight through Donald. He doubted parts of Mickey's story and wanted proof. The mouse couldn't blame his friend. This was the reason Mickey and Minnie had to come to their friends' houses in person. Walt's mission for the six of them was so out of the blue, that it couldn't be explained over the phone in the middle of the night.

"Just Goofy." Mickey answered. "I really don't wanna start until we're all together."

"So you're coming with us?" Minnie hoped. Daisy stood up.

"Of course we are! This could be really exciting. Imagine the wardrobe I could buy with just a fraction of a treasure worth more than Disneyland! Besides if it's what Walt wants, we'll do it." Daisy chattered, only taking a break to glance at her husband. "Right Donald?" It was a tease to ask permission. The Ducks knew Daisy already had her mind set on something and nothing would deter her.

"Right, sweetheart." Donald muttered. Daisy grabbed his arm and gleefully dragged him up the stairs.

"We'll be ready in ten minutes." Daisy called. Eighteen minutes later, the Ducks came down the stairs in proper winter wear. Minnie put the snow globe back in her purse. The five toons met at the front door. "We're all set." Daisy stated.

"Great. The portable hole will be our quickest way to Goofy's house..." Mickey began. He pulled another portable hole from his hammerspace.

"I don't think so, Mickey Mouse." Minnie chided. She swiped the black circle out of his hand. "I'll handle the portable hole from now on." Mickey rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Uh... Sure. Good idea, Minnie." Mickey agreed. Minnie pressed the portable hole on the door. Then her motherly instincts whispered something in her ear.

"Donald, you don't seem worried about leaving your boys home alone." Minnie pointed out.

"Oh, they're at Uncle Scrooge's tonight." Donald explained. "They wanted to spend the day with him tomorrow to celebrate the release of our featurette." Minnie and Mickey's minds immediately went back to their children. Daisy noticed their worried expressions.

"What about Peter, Martha, and Timothy?" She inquired.

"Well..." Minnie hesitated.

Meanwhile at the Mouse castle, Martha watched the night sky from the towering ballroom windows. Yes, they had a ballroom, and a music room, and a game room, and a movie theater room, and a library, and much more. But that was beside the point. The girl kept her eyes on the sky, while the boys aimlessly wandered around the ballroom, waiting for their escorts. Just when Timothy settled down on the floor, hoping to get a few more minutes of sleep, Martha shouted.

"There they are!" Martha raced out of the room in a pink flash. Peter approached the window to see who Martha had called for travel assistance. Four pegasus colts swooped down from the heavens. Peter raised his eyebrows. He was surprised but at the same time not. Could he really expect less from Martha? Peter walked back to his brother and scooped the almost weightless mouse up in his arms.

"C'mon Tim. Let's go on a treasure hunt." Peter droned.

"Mm-hmm." Timothy mumbled. His right hand clung to his crutch, even in half-sleep. Peter brought Timothy outside to the front driveway where the winged horses landed. The four of them stood in a row, continuously shaking snowflakes off their wings. Martha stood at the front of the group, petting the pink one's nose.

"Boys." Martha addressed. She waved her hand dramatically. "May I present Kitrina, Roza, Portokalia, and Blena." She motioned to the yellow, pink, orange, and blue horses. "Hailing from the land of the Greek gods, and stars of Disney's Fantasia!" She finished her royal introduction and added as a side note. "Their brother Mavro couldn't make it. He's sick in bed with a horse throat."

"Nice to meet you all. Glad you could make it on such short notice." Peter socialized with the upmost forced politeness. Martha giggled and mounted Roza.

"So, Peter. You think you can swallow your pride long enough to ride a pegasus?" Martha challenged. Peter smirked. He secretly asked himself that same question a moment ago.

"Let's hope that treasure's worth it." Peter played along. He pushed Timothy's rag doll body up on Portokalia's back, and mounted Blena himself.

"Okay. Take us up, girls." Martha commanded. Peter expected the winged horses to turn around and use the driveway as a runway. Instead it only took the pegasi a single flap of their wings to sky rocket upward. Peter grabbed the blue horse's mane in fright.

"Oh my gosh!" He screamed. The pegasi now flew forward in a diamond shape formation. Martha laughed at Peter's shriek.

"What's the matter, Peter? I never knew you were afraid of heights." She mocked.

"I'm not afraid of anything!" Peter argued. "I just left my stomach on the ground. That's all." Martha giggled once more and returned her gaze to the heavens ahead.


	4. Hot Dogs at the Karnival Part 1

"Well..." Minnie hesitated. "We couldn't get a 'sitter at this hour." She confessed. Mickey worried this subject would come up. He wished Minnie hadn't said anything. Of course Mickey was just as nervous about leaving the kids home alone for the first time as she was. But worrying about the kids would only drive them up the wall and distract them from the treasure.

"They're fine." Mickey commented calmly. He took Minnie's hand. "And we'll be home before they know we left." Minnie got the hint to drop the subject. Mickey cleared his throat. "Well gang, what are we waiting for?" Mickey rallied.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Donald shouted. The overexcited duck charged through the portable hole. Daisy rolled her eyes. When all five toons passed through the portable hole, they entered Goofy's driveway. The portable hole moved the toons into Donald's front door and out Goofy's car door. Mickey turned around to see a heap of green scrap metal driven to the house's front step. It didn't surprise him. Most toons were lousy drivers anyway. Mickey and friends climbed over the mess to reach the front door. Minnie rang the doorbell.

 _DING-DONG_

"Ruff-Ruff!" Pluto echoed back.

"Quiet Pluto." Mickey scolded. "We don't wanna wake up the whole neighborhood." Seconds passed by agonizingly slow, and still no answer from Goofy.

"He's probably sleeping like a log." Minnie said. Donald decided to give it a try. But instead of ringing the doorbell, he pounded on the door with both fists and squawked as loud as he could.

"Hey Goofy! Open up!" The commotion made Pluto start barking again. Mickey clamped his hands over Pluto's snout. Suddenly the mouse froze, sensing something was very wrong. The top of Pluto's snout felt wet with something thick and warm. Mickey looked down to see the red liquid gushing up through the gaps between his fingers. Pluto gasped and shook Mickey's hand and most of the red stuff off his nose. Mickey stared at the red fluid that came off on his white glove.

"Pluto, what have you gotten into?" Mickey voice shook. Minnie, Daisy, and Donald all turned to Pluto. They too saw a red splatter on his nose.

"Oh my gosh! Is that blood?" Daisy exclaimed.

"Don't be silly. Toons only bleed in the movies." Donald argued, still knocking at the door. Pluto licked a bit of the mystery liquid off the tip of his nose. He wrinkled his snout and stuck out his tongue. Pluto remembered that taste; that salty metallic syrup he tasted once when licking a human's wounded hand. Pluto nodded to Mickey. Given a moment to assess the situation, Mickey could clearly see Pluto wasn't bleeding. That was good news. Still, the confirmed blood on Pluto's nose made chills run down Mickey's spine. 'Where did it come from?' Mickey wondered. Just then two droplets of blood fell where Pluto had been standing. Then a larger amount splashed down. Mickey didn't want to look up.

"Mickey!" Minnie's frightful shriek forced Mickey to turn his head upward. Clinging to the overhang was a creature with a red human-like body, the face of a bat, and a long pointed tail. Its mouth hung open, drooling blood down its chin. The creature locked its pupil-less yellow eyes on Minnie, and let out a wicked screech. It dove from its perch, and glided straight over Mickey's head. The red demon landed on clawed feet and grabbed Minnie's coat. Minnie screamed mostly because of the presence of a hellish monster. But there was a deeper fear pounding in her heart. It was a fear that the monster wanted what she pressed against her side, in her bag, under her coat. Thankfully Mickey pulled his trusty wooden hammer from his hammerspace. The mouse was too short to reach the creature's head, so he brought the blow to the creature's tail. WHAM! The creature howled in pain and released Minnie. Next Pluto lunged at the creature, and viciously bit into the demon's calf. Mickey raised the hammer above his head, ready to knock the ungodly being into Hades. But the demon's skin turned to flames, thus disappearing in a black cloud of smoke. Everything was quiet. The five toons breathlessly anticipated the creature's return, or worse. When nothing happened, they all sighed in relief.

"Is everybody okay?" Donald asked, still holding Daisy. Mickey and Minnie looked eye to eye, both concerned for the other. Minnie lightly laughed.

"Mm-hmm, we're okay." Mickey felt Pluto nudging his hand. Mickey smiled and scratched Pluto's head.

"Good teamwork, pal." Mickey complimented.

"So... any ideas on what just happened?" Daisy questioned the group.

"I'll tell you what happened!" Donald panicked. "We got spooked by a ghost! Goofy's house is haunted!"

"Donald, it's not the house." Minnie reasoned.

"Says who?" Donald snapped. "I'll bet this house is full of…" The doorknob jostled back and forth almost like the sound of rattling chains. "Ghosts!" Donald yelled. The frantic duck leapt behind the totaled car. To no one's surprise except Donald's, Goofy opened the door.

"Did somebody knock?" Goofy asked with eyes half closed. He blinked a few times before focusing on his friends' faces. "Hiya everybody! What brings you all here?"

"Wak?" Donald quacked, peeking over Goofy's car.

"Goofy, can we come in?" Mickey pleaded.

"Sure. I was just about to take an afternoon jog, but I've always got time for my best friends. C'mon in." Goofy chuckled. Mickey pondered telling Goofy he got am and pm mixed up again, but decided to skip it. The gang had more pressing issues at hand. The five toons followed Goofy inside single file. Donald shut the door behind him.

"Thanks Goofy. Listen, we could really use your help with something big." Mickey began.

"Well, whatever it is I'm all for it. Whatcha guys need?" Goofy offered. Mickey had been counting on that blind loyalty. Not that Donald wasn't loyal. He was just narrow minded.

"I don't think it's safe to talk about that here." Minnie interrupted. She unbuttoned her coat and brought her hand purse out. "Mickey, that _thing_ was after the snow globe. It's not safe here." she warned. Mickey nodded. He knew she was right. They had to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Goofy. We gotta tell ya something. But you might wanna sit down first." Mickey advised. Goofy thought for a moment if/how sitting down would affect his hearing, then responded.

"Okay." Goofy began to take a seat on the couch, but an unseen force pulled him through the floor. "AHHHHH-HOO-HOO-HOOEY!" Goofy hollered. Without warning, Mickey had thrown a portable hole at Goofy's feet. It started out the size of Mickey's hand, then expanded to the area of the floor the five remaining toons stood upon. Minnie gasped, realizing what Mickey had just done. The floor gave away, and the toons plummeted into nothingness.

"Aahhhhhhhhhh!" the girls screamed.

"Wa-a-a-ak! Wa-a-a-ak!" Donald quacked.

"Baarooooooooo!" Pluto howled.

Mickey silently prayed he wouldn't miscalculate _this_ portable hole's destination. Just as he planned, the gang's fall was softened by chair and couch cushions. Goofy landed in a white floral chair, Daisy and Donald fell onto one of two cranberry red couches in the room, Pluto summersaulted into a red chair, and Minnie and Mickey dropped into two matching blue chairs, separated by a circular table and an antique lamp. Mickey slowly lifted his gaze from the floral patterned floor up to the lamp. The lamp of course was on, in memory of Walt. Its light gave the room a soft inviting glow. It had been a long time since Mickey last visited Walt's apartment. Now on the anniversary of Walt's death, Mickey sat in the apartment, so close to the lamp that memorialized Walt, surrounded by his friends, in possession of Walt's last gift to him. He should have felt so sad and so overwhelmed with memories. Yet Mickey could feel nothing but a comforting calmness about the room.

"Mickey?" Minnie asked. Mickey lost focus on the lamp and looked directly at her. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Mickey nodded to her. Then he stood up and walked to the center of the room.

"C'mon gang. Let's get this started." Mickey mumbled. He suddenly felt anxiety weighing down on his shoulders. There was no telling what could happen next. Mickey knelt on the floor, and his friends followed the motion. Minnie brought the snow globe out of her bag and placed it in front of Mickey. "Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto... you all know what this is about. But Goofy... I'm sorry I dragged you into this without explaining myself." Mickey apologized.

"Oh, I'm not mad at'cha, Mick. Though I'm still wonderin' what we're doin' here. Kinda spooky in here, ain't it?" Goofy spoke. Mickey half smiled at that last statement.

"No. We'll be safe in here." Mickey reassured. 'From what?' was written on Goofy's face. "Back at your place, we were attacked by some sort of monster. It looked like a toon, but it drooled blood. Real blood." The mouse emphasized.

"Gawrsh! What did it want from you guys? What if it was after me?" Goofy quivered.

"It wasn't after you, Goofy." Mickey said quickly. "It was after this." Mickey pressed his thumb to the top of the snow globe, just as he witnessed Yen Sid do. He felt the jagged metal snowflake form under his thumb, and watched his ice-skating figurine disappear in the whiteout again.

"Hello Mickey. Congratulations for activating the snow globe. This will be your guide through our last adventure together; our final huzzah to thirty-eight years as partners. Roy, Ubbe, myself, and many others have composed a quest for you and I. Most of the journey will be in Toontown. Minnie and the gang can join us if they wish. However I must stress, this is no picnic scavenger hunt. You will face trials of terror, greed, and sacrifice. All of which will lead you to a grand reward. It's not a sentimental time capsule I stowed away for you. It is a treasure stolen from our family a long time ago, and I would give anything to have that treasure back. Heck, I would even sell the park! Do me the honor, Son. Find that treasure.

You'll notice that this snow globe has a train and a number combination lock on the bottom. To make the train light up, move the numbers to the appropriate combination and touch the snowflake to receive the next clue. Our quest is over when the all lights in the train are on and the whistle sounds. What happens after that is up to you alone. Now you have everything you need in your hands. Start on Main Street. Let's begin."

Mickey looked at Goofy, Donald, Daisy, and Pluto who were all hearing the message for the first time. Their expressions looked like surprise mixed with hope.

"This snow globe was a gift from Walt." Mickey continued. "We were supposed to unlock the snow globe's secrets together. But... Walt passed away before I opened the gift that Christmas. I guess I put the snow globe on a shelf and forgot about it. But Master Yen Sid showed me this much, and said I have nine days left to find the treasure, or else."

"Or else what?" Goofy questioned.

"Or else there won't be a treasure left to find. Walt's greatest treasure will be lost forever." Mickey stressed. The mouse addressed everyone present. "That's why I need all of you here. I know it doesn't make much sense now. Judging by what Master Yen Sid told me, I'd say we have a lot to learn about the snow globe. But if you're all with me, I'm sure we can figure this out. We'll find that treasure if we keep Walt and everything he stood for in mind, before the riches. So wha'dya say, gang?" Mickey pushed the snow globe to the center of the group and put his hand on the top. "Will we do Walt the honor?"

"You bet we will!" Donald confirmed, planting his hand over Mickey's.

"No question about that!" Goofy cheered, putting his hand in.

"Definitely." Daisy voiced, doing the same.

"Aarf! Aarf! Aarf!" Pluto barked, resting his paw on top. Lastly, Minnie gingerly touched Pluto's paw.

"We'll all do it for Walt." Minnie promised. "And for you, Mickey." she added, kissing him on the cheek. Mickey blushed and shyly glanced away for a split second. When he met Minnie's eyes the two lovers' noses touched, on the count of everyone leaning in so close together around the small snow globe.

"Gosh, Minnie." Mickey tried to compose himself again. "Um, thanks everyone. I couldn't do this without'cha." The gang gave Mickey knowing winks and nods as they removed their hands and paws from the snow globe. Mickey picked up the snow globe to examine the underside. There he found six rotating discs of interchangeable numbers all set at zero. Mickey moved the discs with his thumb and repeated out loud the code Yen Sid had given him. "Zero, eight, zero, six, two, eight." Mickey flipped the snow globe back over to see the results. A blizzard brewed inside the snow globe, and a different recording of Walt's voice played.

"Now that the snow globe has become active, a toon with evil intentions is aware of its presence and power. The time will come to face your foe, Mickey. But for now you must outrun it (or rather fly). Fly to Neverland and find Tinkerbell. You will be safe with her and while you are in her care you mustn't eat. Not even a hot dog. Tinkerbell will answer some but not all questions you have. The next code is 072328. Do not use the next code before completing the previous. That goes for all clues."

Strangely, the snow globe's inner storm still raged on after Walt's voice cut out. Even more strange, were the black and grey shapes developing in the blizzard. The shapes extended black lines from them, creating a semi-transparent black and white projection against the glass. Mickey couldn't believe his eyes. He saw himself as he appeared in 'The Karnival Kid' 1929, anxiously waiting for a hot dog dipped in mustard to hop onto its bun. Mickey understood now, that this was one of the snow globe's magical properties. This obviously surpassed mankind's technology of 1966. The black and grey design of Mickey dissolved into the white storm. The swirling snowflakes slowed and gently fell as plastic pieces.

"Wow." was all Mickey could say.

"Well, I guess we should..." Minnie began.

"HELP!" a voice pierced the toons' ears. Mickey and Minnie recognized the sound right away. They raced to the window and lifted the lace curtain. What they saw confirmed their worst fears.

"Oh my gosh! The kids!" Minnie cried.


	5. Hot Dogs at the Karnival Part 2

_Moments ago..._

Sixteen hooves came thundering down on the pavement of Main Street. The pegasi fanned out their wings upon landing to cause wind resistance and trot to a halt. The winged horses stopped on a dime, in front of Main Street's firehouse. The three Mouse children hobbled off the horses in a bowlegged fashion. Timothy, who was wide awake now, especially needed help swinging one leg over the pegasus' back and dropping to the ground. The orange pegasus kneeled on it's front two legs to shorten the distance from the ground the small mouse would have to maneuver. Peter dutifully stood at the pegasus' side to help his brother. The older mouse reached over the winged horse's back, grabbed Timothy's pant leg, and pulled Timothy's foot up level with the pegasus' back. Timothy then gave himself a push to the left, and slid into Peter's arms. It was nothing out of the norm. As the oldest brother, Peter had succumbed to Timothy's almost constant dependence on him. Timothy could count on Martha's support as well. But there was an unspoken rule in the Mouse house. That being, the gentlemen take care of the women and children of the household. Thus, when assisting Timothy became physically strenuous, it would be Mickey or Peter's duty to help him. For example, when the children ran and played Peter often carried Timothy on his back; never putting stress on Martha's shoulders.

"Thanks for the ride, girls. We can take care of ourselves from here." Martha dismissed. The pegasi whinnied and galloped off into the park. Peter and Timothy came to Martha's side. The three humbly observed the firehouse; the light shining in the window, being the most eye catching feature. "Okay, let's go." Martha said, breaking the silence. She lead the way across the street, to the firehouse.

"Martha?" Timothy asked. "If we don't have this magic snow globe, how are we supposed to find clues without Mom and Dad knowing?"

"We'll just have to follow a step behind them for now. Or maybe we can figure out how to hear all the snow globe's clues and codes with the magic Dad taught us. Then we can get ahead, or skip to the last clue, and find the treasure ourselves." Martha hypothesized. Peter shook his head.

"The more you two talk about this snow globe out loud, the more I question if this is all a candy before bed induced dream." Peter grumbled.

"Hey, don't act like you didn't hear Mom say 'our family's fate depends on that treasure'." Martha quoted. "Besides, I know what I heard before." Martha stopped in her tracks, and slapped a hand on Peter's chest. "Wait. I hear something." Martha whispered.

"Is it Grandpa Walt's voice again." Peter whispered back, his cocky smile giving away how little concern he had.

"I'm serious, Peter! Something's wrong." Martha hissed. Timothy ducked behind Peter's head. The three listened to the empty park for a moment. Peter still heard nothing, but Martha become more alarmed, darting her eyes at every dark corner. Then they came. Red scaly beings leaped from bursts of flames. Fountains of fire spat the creatures up from the pavement, through walls, out of thin air. The only structure not affected by the creatures' invasion was the firehouse. The creatures surrounded the Mouse children, crouched like animals, and prepared to pounce. Martha latched onto Peter's arm for protection. Timothy whimpered in Peter's ear. Peter himself was completely at a loss of what to do. So the young mouse did what seemed to be his only option.

"HELP!" he screamed. The red monsters echoed back a scream that sounded both human and feline. Peter's pounding heart sank low in his chest. It seemed they had no way out, when suddenly a wide pillar of water crashed down in front of them. An enormous wave broke against fiery creatures standing in its path, and washed them all away. Meanwhile, Peter, Martha, and Timothy stood inches from the instant waterfall and the massive waves it emitted. Yet they only felt the slightest mist on their faces. The roar of the waterfall overpowered all other sounds. Thus, Peter hadn't heard his mother call for him and his siblings. Also, Peter was taken by surprise when Minnie came up behind the trio, accompanied by Pluto, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy. Then the waterfall began to change. The waves moved in reverse. All water rushed to the middle of the pillar and absorbed within itself. The waterfall became weaker and weaker until nothing but a trickle floated around a red robed mouse. Mickey gently levitated downward, only releasing the last droplets of water from his spell when his feet touched the ground. The Mouse children shook in awe of Mickey's power, and the thought of what monumental trouble they were in. Mickey exchanged his robe for his winter coat, and took a deep breath. It took all of his self control to say

"I'm not gonna yell at'cha, kids." Minnie turned Martha and Peter around, and lit into them.

"What were you kids thinking, wondering out of the house at night?! You could have gotten lost! You could have been kidnapped! You could have froze to death, and your father and I would have no idea what happened to you! How did you even get this far from home anyway?!" Minnie ranted. Timothy, who was the perfect son, the little angel who never broke the rules, felt most ashamed of what he had done. He crawled off of Peter's back and stood up straight with the support of his crutch.

"Mom?" Timothy's tiny voice squeaked. "We just wanted to find the treasure too..." Martha and Peter instantly slapped their hands over Timothy's mouth. But their secret was already out. Jaws dropped. The revelation that three children knew of the treasure and would surely become involved in the perilous journey ahead, left the Sensational Six speechless. Martha and Peter sighed in defeat, and let go of Timothy.

"We're sorry we snuck out." Martha apologized. "But Dad, I heard the voice from the snow globe, and I know who it is. I couldn't just go back to bed, so I... I told Peter and Tim to follow you here. It's my fault." She paused a moment. "Dad, I don't know why, but I felt something so strong in my heart when I heard Grandpa Walt's voice. I just knew the snow globe was part of something bigger than all of us. I couldn't stay away-huh?" Martha stopped herself. She froze with fear. Her breathing became quick gasps. Mickey dashed to Martha and held her shoulders, in fear that she might faint.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Minnie cried. Martha trembled to look down at her shoes. Everyone followed her gaze. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until three red claws escaped a black puff of smoke, and curled around Martha's shoe. Everyone but Mickey let out frightened shouts and screams. Without a second of hesitance, Mickey pulled Martha from the claws. As the gang backed away further, the claws reached out further. Then a hand grasped the air, then an arm...

"Uh, Mickey?" Donald asked, tapping on the mouse's shoulder.

"What?" Mickey gulped. Donald motioned with his thumb over his shoulder. Mickey looked behind him, and saw the park was crawling with bat faced, arrow tailed, red demons. "Y-you think you can do that water trick again?" Donald quivered.

"It won't work." Mickey admitted. "They'll keep coming back." Donald's head feathers stood up straight, and his sailor hat flipped in mid air. He grabbed at Mickey's coat desperately.

"What are we gonna do?!" Donald demanded. The limb that reached for Martha ignited itself in fire. The flames reached high above the toons heads and took the shape of a larger demon. This new form was blue scaled with two lengthened dark blue tails. The building sized demon evilly smiled down at the toons, Martha in particular. Blood oozed from the gaps in the monster's teeth. Mickey twisted out of Donald's grasp and picked up Martha bridal style.

"Run!" Mickey shouted. The toons were gone in a flash. Using toon speed, the gang zoomed down the long stretch between Main Street and Sleeping Beauty's castle. The red monsters flooded Main Street and swarmed around the toons like angry bees. But the Sensational Six weaved and swerved through the red maze so fast the creatures couldn't touch them. Mickey was relieved to see Goofy carrying Peter, and Timothy riding on Pluto's back. Since the Mouse children were still young and inexperienced toons, they had yet to master a lot of animation tricks and gags. In this case, they wouldn't stand a chance against the mob of demons with their normal to slightly enhanced running speed. Speaking of running, this set up was beginning to sound familiar to Mickey.

"Martha, this might sound odd, but... Whoa!" Mickey yelped, as one creature snapped its fangs dangerously close to Mickey's ears. "Did you fly here?" He finished.

"Yes, I called my pegasus friends. But we only flew over the _ticket booths_." Martha defended.

"Can you call them and tell them to get us out of here?" Mickey asked, not listening to Martha's last sentence.

"Yeah, but we have to get to the edge of the park." Martha said. Mickey ducked from another close call.

"Why?" Mickey breathed.

"We're not allowed to fly over the park, remember?" Martha replied honestly. Mickey mentally groaned.

"I think your grandpa would want you to make an exception this time." Mickey hurriedly suggested. A lightbulb finally turned on in Martha's head. She grabbed a small flute-like instrument from her hammerspace and blew S.O.S on the highest note. Like shooting stars, the four pegasi soared over the tallest tower in Sleeping Beauty's castle. They formed a V and dove into the crowd of demons and fire. The evil creatures scrambled away from the pegasi and the glow of their moonlit wings. Now the winged horses flew almost level with the ground and showed no signs of stopping. "Everyone turn around." Mickey commanded. Immediately Mickey spun on his heel to run the way they came. The others blindly followed, momentarily forgetting about the giant blue demon that slowly stomped after them. 'This guy makes Frankenstein look like an Olympic runner.' Mickey thought. In seconds the pegasi glided along side the Sensational Six. Mickey lifted Martha onto the blue pegasus, before leaping on the horse's back himself. Daisy and Donald mounted the orange pegasus, Goofy and Peter rode the yellow pegasus, and Minnie, Timothy, and Pluto took to the air with the pink pegasus. The horses were gaining altitude, but not enough to skyrocket over the blue demon. Minnie's pegasus Roza, whinnied to the other horses. Kitrina, Portokalia, and Blena whinnied, snorted, and shook their heads back to her. Mickey hoped that was horse code for 'Plan B'. Suddenly Mickey's pegasus took a hard right while Minnie's pegasus banked left. The two raced around the monster like a tornado. Meanwhile Goofy's pegasus turned her wings and body vertical to kick at the demon's side as they passed under its right arm. The demon continued to swat at the pegasi like pesky bugs, to no avail. Next Donald and Daisy's pegasus flew into the same flight pattern as Minnie, but when they reached the demon's shoulder, the pegasus kicked the demon's head and loudly whinnied in its ear. Mickey and Minnie escaped passed the demon's right ear as it tried to attack whatever assaulted its left ear. Unbeknownst to the demon, its colorful equestrian attackers were long gone. Finally all the toons were out of harm's way, safe in the open night sky. Mickey looked back at Disneyland, worried out of his wits of what the ceatures could do to his dad's park. To the mouse's relief, all of the creatures vanished. Flying did the trick, just like Walt said.

"Well that wasn't so bad." Peter beamed. That broke the awkward silence long enough for everyone to chuckle, relax, and breathe. Minnie smiled contently, but her eyes said 'Don't think you're out of trouble yet, Mister.'

"Dad? Where are we going now?" Timothy asked.

"Off to Neverland. Second star to the right and straight on till morning." Mickey declared.


	6. Sleigh Bells On Ice Part 1

Just over Toontown shined two stars, the second brighter than the other. It seemed as far out as space and impossible to reach. The pegasi took their passengers far above Toontown with full belief that they could reach that second star. After all that was half the key to reaching Neverland. Soon the black sky that held the star began to turn light blue. A sparkling haze floated around the star's blinding white light. The closer the gang came to the star, the more their vision blurred into white twinkling. Foggy rings encircled the star. Mickey's Pegasus, dove through one of the rings and suddenly everything was clear. Mickey could see the colors in the rainbows that crisscrossed around Neverland and its waters. He could see the green jungle, the blue bay, and the purple clouds.

"Take us around the Indian camp, and down to Hangman's Tree. We don't need any trouble from pirates right now." Mickey told the blue pegasus. She and her sisters obeyed; taking a wide left turn away from Cannibal Cove. They flew around the sandy cliff occupied by the tribe, and dived deep into the jungle. The pegasi flew swiftly, hardly slowing down to avoid obstacles such as tree branches and vines. Something orange flashed by, down below on the beaten trail. Then the gang heard the joyful shouting.

"Mickey's back! Hooray! Mickey's back!"

The pegasi dragged their hooves into a grassy clearing in front of an old hollow tree. The tree had many holes blocked up with stumps and a rope that tied to each stump, wrapping around the tree, and ending in a noose hanging over the highest branch. Dismounting his horse, Mickey had to ask himself what made Neverland so charming back in the day. Perhaps it was ignorance, he thought. Mickey purposely helped Martha off the left side of the horse when Hangman's Tree was on the right side. He hoped Martha would not dwell on the tree's image. Just after the gang exchanged their winter wear for more casual clothes, the Lost Boys came charging in from the bushes. Slightly, the fox clothed Lost Boy lead the way. As soon as they reached the gang, they scattered. Mickey hadn't expected that. He expected the six of them to tackle him all at once. Instead he got Slightly bombarding him with questions, the raccoon twins aggravating Donald in a Chip n' Dale manner, Cubby wrestling Goofy, Nibs trying to start a game of tag with Pluto, and Tootles silently investigating Peter and Timothy who were new to Neverland. Of course the Lost Boys paid no attention to Martha, Minnie, or Daisy.

"The nerve of them." Daisy pouted.

"Mickey, how come you don't come see us anymore? Who are those kids that look like you? How long are you staying? Can you stay till Christmas? Can you stay longer? You wanna see my new animal trap?" Slightly rattled on. Mickey looked over at Donald, who's face was red with anger. One raccoon twin wrapped himself around Donald's legs to immobilize him, while the other twin stood on a pegasus' back, waving Donald's sailor hat around just out of the duck's reach. 'Oh boy. Any second now...' Mickey dreaded.

"That does it!" Donald squawked. The duck flipped into a mad quacking frenzy. He stirred up a dust cloud in all his punching and kicking. Occasionally a fist, webbed foot, or raccoon tail flew from the cloud. The commotion riled the pegasi. Thus they flapped their wings and took off without even a whinny of goodbye. Martha sadly watched her friends turn into small dots in the Neverland sky. 'Thanks a lot, Uncle Donald.' She thought bitterly. Soon the twin Lost Boys summersaulted out of the dust cloud. They both appeared unharmed and snickered that one of them still had Donald's hat. Suddenly Donald leaped out of the dust cloud at the twins, and quacked a threat so terrible, so horrifying, so _unintelligible,_ it scared the six Lost Boys into a straight line standing at attention. They were literally scared stiff. Mickey sighed. Finally that episode was over and they could talk to the boys sensibly. But Donald kept fiercely lecturing the boys, completely unaware that his words were going straight over everyone's heads.

"Uh, Donald?" Mickey approached, putting his hand on Donald's shoulder. "Mind if I take over from here?" He asked. Donald's panting slowed. He tried to breathe calmly even though his shoulders shook as if he might explode again. Donald nodded without looking at Mickey, and walked away from the Lost Boys.

"Ha-ha. Hello boys. Long time, no see." Mickey laughed awkwardly. The Lost Boys smiled at him, quickly recovering from their fright. "We're here to see Tinkerbell." The mouse explained. "Does anyone know where she is?"

"I heard she was with Peter this morning." Nibs spoke up, holding up his false rabbit ears.

"Well where's Peter?" Goofy interjected. "H'yuck. Pan, that is."

"At the Mermaid Lagoon. Yuck!" Cubby answered.

"No! Peter's not there!" Slightly argued, wrinkling his nose.

"Oh yeah?" Cubby challenged. "Peter's always there."

"This morning he wasn't _always_ there." Slighly winked to Nibs.

"Because Peter was with Tinkerbell, and Tinkerbell's _never_ there!" Nibs laughed. Mickey nearly facepalmed. At this rate it would take them the whole nine days just to get through this clue.

"Tinkerbell?" Martha queried, looking over her shoulder towards the North Neverland Mountains. The whole group looked in the same direction and saw nothing. Both Mickey and Minnie looked at each other in confusion and then stared back at Martha. It was then, Mickey noticed Martha's ears twitching slightly. Mickey found his ears did the same, as a high pitched ringing in the air. A sparkling yellow light flew over the trees, exactly where Martha presumed the pixie would come from. Tinkerbell paused in mid air, realizing the Lost Boys had company. She clapped her hands and jingled at the sight of Minnie. It had been too long since Tinkerbell talked to a girl who wasn't swooning over Peter. Tinkerbell fluttered over Minnie and excitedly circled around her head.

"Oh, Tinkerbell. It's good to see you too." Minnie giggled. Tinkerbell then skipped about to everyone's shoulder to greet them when she stopped in front of Martha. The pixie stared wide-eyed at the mouse with small curls in her hair. Tinkerbell looked back at Mickey and Minnie with a hopeful smile.

"Tinkerbell, this our daughter, Martha." Mickey introduced. Tinkerbell chimed happily, while the Lost Boys all scratched their heads. Martha hesitantly held out her hand. Tinkerbell tenderly stepped into the gloved palm and complimented Martha in her own way.

"She's so pretty, Mom." Martha awed.

"She thinks you're pretty too." Minnie translated.

"And our two sons, Timothy and Peter." Mickey continued. Tinkerbell glanced over at the two mice standing close by Martha and immediately noticed Timothy's crutch. The pixie zoomed around Timothy's shoes and up to his waist, leaving a contrail of pixie dust behind her. Mickey could see what Tinkerbell was trying to do.

"Tink, please don't." Mickey pleaded. It was a kind gesture by the fairy, but Mickey knew it would never work. Timothy was animated, brought to life with a crutch in hand. It defined part of him. Unless he was to be completely redrawn one day, Timothy would always rely on that crutch. But the pixie didn't know this. So she flew over Timothy's head to distract him, swooped down towards Timothy's hand, and used her whole body to ram into the crutch. Tinkerbell knocked the crutch loose from the mouse's grasp. She quickly caught the handle in mid fall, and flew away with it, while dragging the bottom end in the grass.

"Tinkerbell!" Minnie objected. The rest of the gang was speechless.

"Hey! What are you doing? I need that!" Timothy piped up. What happened next was nothing short of a miracle. For the first time in Timothy's life, he ran. One foot speedily after the other, Timothy chased Tinkerbell around Hangman's Tree.

"Well whad'ya know..." Donald remarked.

"I can't believe it!" Martha exclaimed.

"Aarf! Aarf!" Pluto barked. Peter couldn't help but smirk at the fact that his brother still didn't know what he was doing.

"Hey, Tim! Your shoe's untied." Peter bluffed. Timothy looked down, falling for Peter's trick, and realized the distance he covered away from his family, away from any support all on his own without the crutch. The small mouse hollered with joy. He jumped, twirled on his heel, kicked the air, and finally raced back to his parents.

"Mom! Dad! Did you see me?" Timothy cried, leaping into Mickey's arms.

"We sure did, Son." Mickey answered.

"We couldn't be more happy for you." Minnie praised, kissing Timothy on the forehead. Peter and Martha also gathered around and congratulated their brother. The sound of bells told the Mouse family that Tinkerbell had returned. She panted and rapidly flapped her wings in short bursts to keep herself airborne. Tinkerbelle lazily dropped the crutch's handle at Mickey's feet, glad that her deed was done. Mickey cupped his hands for Tinkerbell to rest in.

"Thank you, Tinkerbell." Mickey spoke softly. Next he gave Timothy the well known 'be polite' stare.

"Oh. Thank you, Tinkerbell." Timothy thanked on cue. Tinkerbell floated out of Mickey's hands, put her hands on her hips, and flipped her bangs like the task was no big deal. Mickey patted Timothy's head.

"Hmm, I bet you wanna run and play in the hills until that pixie dust wears off." Mickey guessed.

"No, I wanna stay with you and find Grandpa's treasure!" the young mouse whined. Tinkerbell suddenly chimed an alarming tone. Her jaw dropped. Astonishment showed on her face.

"Treasure?" Some of the Lost Boys echoed back.

"Oops." Timothy said.

"Big mouth." Peter muttered. Tinkerbell darted over the Lost Boys and jingled an urgent order. The Lost Boys hung onto her every word.

"** **** ******** ***"

"Yeah?"

"**+ **+ +*+****"

"Uh-huh."

"++++ +++++!"

"YEAH!"

"C'mon! Let's go!"

"Whooo-hooo!"

Without further question, the Lost Boys charged into the forest waving rocks, slingshots, and clubs in the air. Tinkerbell flew behind Peter and pulled at his orange sweatshirt hood.

"Hey! What gives?" Peter protested. He swatted at Tinkerbell. The pixie dodged and grabbed Martha's pink long sleeve t-shirt at the shoulder and tried to lead her in the direction the Lost Boys were heading.

"Tink, it's alright. They know." Mickey defended. Tinkerbell let go of Martha's sleeve, and bowed her head to apologize. The pixie waved her arm, motioning for the group to follow her. She pointed to the largest stump on the right side of the tree, flew up to the hanging rope, and tugged on it with all her strength. The stumps were hoisted away. Mickey lead the way inside the tree and down a steep staircase that spiraled underground. Tinkerbell found her way in through another hole. While she fluttered down to Mickey, she nervously twiddled her fingers together and tucked one foot behind her ankle. "Tinkerbell, are you okay?" Mickey asked.

"* **** *** * ********* ** * * * *********"

"What's she saying, Mom?" Martha queried.

"Yes. I waited for this moment so long, I was beginning to think you would never come, Mickey." Minnie translated. Tinkerbell jingled again. "May I see it?" Minnie felt a little silly answering her own question. She brought the snow globe out of her purse for Tinkerbell to see. The snow globe itself was about her height. The pixie's eyes grew wide with wonder.

"** * ****"

"It's just as Walt said." Minnie breathed, matching Tinkerbell's expression.

"Master Yen Sid told me many magical toons guarded the snow globe all these years." Mickey remembered. "Tinkerbell, is this the first time you've seen the snow globe?" Tinkerbell solemnly nodded. "Then you probably know as much about the treasure as we do." Mickey predicted. The pixie nodded once more. "Gee, I'm sorry Tink." Mickey truly felt bad that of all the magical toons assigned to guard the snow globe, Tinkerbell got left out somehow. She boosted herself to the top of the snow globe and timidly tapped the glass with her toes.

"Hello Mickey..." The activation message played. Peter and Timothy were especially astounded. Everything Martha insisted she heard before was in the message; and in Walt Disney's voice unmistakably. Tinkerbell wiped a single tear away, listening and reminiscing to her old friend's voice. When the message ended, Peter and Timothy looked at Martha grinning and holding her head high.

"I told you so." Martha bragged. "That's exactly what I heard last night." This earned a look from her father. He folded his arms. "Dad, I know we're still in trouble for sneaking out. But I told you I just couldn't stay away. This is important to you and your family. That includes us." Martha preached, grasping her brothers' shoulders. Mickey nodded and stepped towards them.

"Kids, I'm glad the three of you are up to speed about the treasure and how the snow globe works." He announced, keeping his tone serious. "You'll need to know those things... if you're going to help us find the treasure." The kids cheered. Minnie nearly dropped the snow globe.

"Oh no they're not!" Minnie snapped. She got up in Mickey's face, nose to nose. "Mickey Mouse, you know better! This adventure has already been way too dangerous for them!"

"Minnie, they're already involved. They deserve to know what's going on." Mickey persuaded.

"I won't put them in harm's way any longer!" Minnie shouted.

"I can protect them!" Mickey raised his voice.

"For how long? And from what?" Minnie demanded.

"I _will_ protect them, Minnie! That's a promise!" Mickey stressed.

"Like how you promised we would go home after one clue?" Minnie interrogated.

"No, like how you promised you would always be with me through all of this!" Mickey yelled.

"Um, pardon me..." Goofy interrupted.

"What is it, Goofy?!" Mickey growled. Goofy silently motioned with his thumb towards the three cowering children. Peter and Martha stood petrified and taking the whole scene in, while Timothy hid his face in Donald's shirt. Mickey and Minnie felt their hearts break at such a sight. "Kids, we're so sorry. We didn't meant to yell. We just had a disagreement." Mickey tried to recover.

"Peter, Martha, Tim, why don't you go check out what the Lost Boys are up to?" Minnie suggested. Peter nodded and took his siblings' hands. He lead them up the stairs and out of the tree.

"Goofy, go with them please. Remind them not to eat anything here." Mickey requested.

"You got it, Mick." Goofy agreed, ascending up the stairs.

"They are not part of this." Minnie mumbled.

"Master Yen Sid said we could only find the treasure if we follow Walt's instructions exactly." Mickey countered. The couple was just about to go at it again, when Tinkerbell flew between them and stretched her arms out.

"+++ ** *++* + ++++ ****** *** ***"

"What do you mean they can't go home now?" Minnie cried.

"***** *** * * *** * ***"

"But what would those creatures want with the children?" Minnie worried.

"** ** ** ** *"

"The snow globe?" Mickey echoed back.

"I think I get it now." Donald cut in. Mickey and Minnie gave the duck a confused look.

"You do?" Mickey questioned.

"Yeah. At Goofy's house, that bloodsucking thing attacked Minnie because she had the snow globe... And Martha got attacked when she said she heard the first message... Those monsters want the snow globe and anyone affiliated with it." Donald explained slowly so he could be understood. Tinkerbell nodded in confirmation. The reality was sinking in. There really was no easy or safe way out. Minnie seemed to close within herself and sink further into silent despair. Pluto licked her hand comfortingly. But Minnie did not react.

"Tinkerbell, what do we do to protect ourselves and the children?" Daisy asked. Tinkerbell opened her mouth to jingle something, but stopped herself. She decided the gang needed a jumpstart; something that would inspire them to persevere on rest of their journey. Besides, they couldn't be doubting each other after just one clue. They still had twenty-five left to go. Tinkerbell rocketed over the toons' heads and illustrated a line of fine cursive writing in pixie dust. Mickey and friends gawked at the glittering golden words sprinkling down before them.

'Keep Moving Forward'

"It's the only thing we can do." Mickey agreed with Tinkerbell. Minnie reluctantly nodded.

"Okay, what's the next code?" Minnie questioned. Mickey could only respond with awkward silence.

"You forgot the numbers, didn't you?" Minnie accused. She took a deep breath, preparing to give Mickey an earful.

"It's zero, seven, two, three, two, eight." Daisy blurted. The group stared at her in surprise. "What? It's zero, seven, two, three, two, eight, and the last one was zero, eight, zero, six, two, eight." Daisy recited more defensively.

"Can you keep track of _all_ the codes?" Mickey asked.

"Sure I can." Daisy shrugged.

"Since when were you so good with numbers?" Donald wondered.

"One word, Donald. Shopping." Daisy answered. Minnie keyed in the numbers Daisy had given him. The snow globe brewed its wild snow storm. The gang huddled closer around Minnie to hear Walt's clue.

"First off, I would like to thank you, Mickey for being so patient. I realize this has been a rough start to our adventure. So now I would like you and Minnie to have some time alone together, to think about what you love more than food and water. Place the snow globe in Pixie Pond. Have fun, kids. And don't mind the Captain. Show him the snow globe if he gives you any trouble. Come aboard the Jolly Roger at sunset. Tonight's code is 070928."

Walt's voice cut out just as the black and grey shapes began to surface. Mickey tried to pick out another black and white picture, only this time the white area around the black became light blue. Then red and yellow circles took form in the picture. Mickey couldn't help but smile. There he was on ice skates behind his dear Minnie, helping her up from a fall. They looked so happy together. Interestingly, this image also belonged to one of Mickey's old cartoons; 'On Ice', 1935 to be exact. When the picture dimmed into white and the storm calmed, Mickey and Minnie looked up from the snow globe at each other. Their cautious smiles invited them to open their hearts to one another, but neither could find the right words to do so.

"Well I think we'll just leave you two alone now." Daisy declared. She grabbed at Donald's shirt collar and hurried up the stairs, followed by Pluto. "Until sunset." Daisy called from the top of the tree. Tinkerbell fluttered down a new corridor under the tree. She jingled for Mickey and Minnie to come with her. So Mickey and Minnie walked on with their pixie escort, all the while hoping they could go through with this clue; to spend time together, forget about the recent stress and dangers, and honestly admit they were still the lovers Walt knew they were.


	7. Sleigh Bells On Ice Part 2

The mice trudged through an underground tunnel trying to keep up with their only light source. Tinkerbell was hardly a firefly in the pitch black. After many twists left, turns right, and an upside down loop, Tinkerbell flew straight up and through a small opening between two boulders. Mickey knelt on one knee, offering Minnie a boost up. But Minnie proudly turned her nose up at him, scraped some littered pixie dust off the rocky walls, and sprinkled it over her head. The dust was just enough to raise her up an extra three feet; high enough to reach the ceiling, and push the boulders up and aside. Daylight shined down the opened hole. Minnie grasped at the layer of grass and dirt above her head, and pulled herself out. Meanwhile Mickey stood below in the dirt and rocks, perplexed at the situation. Apparently he wasn't worth a passing glance to her right now. No, despite his best (and so far successful) efforts to keep his family safe in conditions he couldn't control, it seemed the only thanks he deserved was to be left behind almost six feet under. Luckily Tinkerbell came to the mouse's aid. She dropped a dash of pixie dust on his head, allowing Mickey to hover upward to ground level. Mickey watched his shoes land safely in a patch of grass. When he looked up, his view became very green. A circular pond reflected the greenest trees that stretched their branches over the pond like a dome. A few beams of sunlight broke in through the thick leaves dotted with golden pixie dust. The water was still like glass and crystal clear down to its pebbled bottom. Mickey found Minnie standing at the water's edge with the snow globe in hand. Tinkerbell was no where in sight. Mickey cautiously approached Minnie.

"Minnie? About... what I said before..." Mickey started.

"I know you're sorry now." Minnie bitterly cut him off. "But you wouldn't change a single word, if given the chance to do it over, would you?"

"Minnie, what are you talking about?" Mickey exclaimed. Minnie turned to face him. Tears overflowed her eyes. She was losing the strength to be mad at him, and crumbling in sadness.

"There's nothing you won't sacrifice to find the treasure. I really can't stop you now because, no matter how you comfort me one minute, you're still going to ignore me for a clue and a dangerous trial the next minute." Minnie stated, holding back her emotions.

"I'm not ignoring you." Mickey pacified.

"Then why didn't you listen to me when I said we should call a babysitter?" Minnie sobbed. She finally broke down, letting her teardrops fall and splatter on the snow globe. "If we hadn't left the kids alone, they wouldn't be here right now! But you _had_ to start this treasure hunt in the middle of the night! You _had_ to get to Main Street right away! Now look at what the kids are involved in! How could you do this to them? How could you do this to me?"

"Because I love you, Minnie." Mickey confessed. Minnie gasped. She hadn't expected that answer at all. Mickey took Minnie in his arms before she could object, and whispered in her ear. "I love you more than I love the sun, because your heart is much warmer. I cherish you more than I cherish my own life, because you alone have completed my life from day one. And I care for you a thousand and one times more than I care for that snow globe." They separated. Minnie stared at him in disbelief. "Min, the snow globe may be important, and we don't know what the treasure's gonna be when we reach the end. But that's all the snow globe stands for: a beginning and an end." He gingerly stroked her face. "Why should I hold an inevitable ending so dear to me, when I know what we have will last forever?"

"Oh, Mickey!" Minnie swooned. She kissed him passionately. Mickey who was caught off guard, felt his eyes roll to the back of his head. It took a moment to realize he had her right where he wanted her. But that wasn't enough. Though they could have blissfully turned a blind eye to their previous arguments, Mickey figured it was best they fully forgave each other now rather than later. Mickey broke the kiss.

"Minnie, I really mean it when I say I've got us this far because I love you. I want Dad to be proud of me, but I want you to be happy too. I'm sorry the kids are in this mess with us, and I know you're scared for the future. But as long as the gang sticks together, we'll get through this okay." Mickey comforted.

"How can you be so sure?" Minnie doubted.

"Because Dad believes in us." Mickey answered. The mice smiled at each other. Then Minnie faced the pond again, and knelt at the water's edge. "What are you doing?" Mickey asked.

"Tinkerbell told me what to do." Minnie explained. She flipped the snow globe over, turned the combination back to zero-zero-zero-zero-zero-zero, and re-entered the most current code. Then just as the fake snow began to swirl around the Mickey figurine, Minnie submerged the snow globe in Pixie Pond.

"Minnie!" Mickey panicked. He lunged at the water in an attempt to rescue the snow globe. Suddenly the snow globe was filled with a blue light rather than a white out storm. The Pixie Pond froze over. The water Mickey tried to plunge his hand through became hard solid ice. Mickey retracted his hand and rubbed his knuckles against the other hand's palm.

"Don't worry, Mickey. It's supposed to do that." Minnie giggled. Mickey scowled at her. 'What's she so chipper about all of a sudden?' Mickey thought. Then he did a double take between Minnie and the pond. Minnie was sitting in the grass, lacing up a pair of white ice-skates on her feet. Mickey slowly sat down beside her, still not sure of the situation.

"This is really part of the clue?" Mickey guessed.

"Walt wanted us to spend time together. According to Tinkerbell, this is what he had in mind." Minnie said. Mickey nodded and summoned a pair of yellow ice-skates from his hammerspace. Deja-vu washed over the mouse. The image that showed in the snow globe for the present clue; it came from the cartoon 'On Ice'. Now the two mice were about to mirror the cartoon by ice-skating on a frozen pond with ice-skates identical to those from 1935. It was a weird feeling. Mickey briefly imagined Walt at his desk, planning the clue just for the two mice. Minnie stood up and tiptoed on her blades onto the ice. She started off coasting then propelled herself into a running motion. Minnie skated to the center of the pond and did a 360 degree turn. She smiled at Mickey, swiftly skating after her. Minnie took a few strides towards Mickey, meeting him half way. Their fingers interlocked. "Do you know what would make this moment perfect?" Minnie asked.

"I think it's already perfect." Mickey commented. He leaned in for a kiss, but hesitated at the last second. A faint ringing sound made his ears twitch. 'Tinkerbell?' He assumed. Minnie looked around, picking up on the sound too. Then the ringing grew into a soft hum. In fact it seemed the trees surrounding them were humming. The mice quickly realized they weren't alone when the trees sparkled with the light of the Fair Folk. The new additions to the Disney Company, whose movie was yet to be released, began to hum a familiar tune. Minnie's eyes lit up with surprise. Mickey nodded to the Fair Folk in thanks, and lead Minnie into a waltz whilst the Fair Folk sang their song.

 _"Some day my prince will come_  
 _Some day I'll find my love_  
 _And how thrilling that moment will be_  
 _When the prince of my dreams comes to me"_

The mice touched fingers over Minnie's head. At the climax of the verse Minnie twirled on her right foot, pointing her left heel to her back, as Mickey glided around her. Then after so much momentum was built up, they unwound from each other and coasted the pond's perimeter hand in hand.

 _"He'll whisper "I love you"_  
 _And steal a kiss or two_  
 _Though he's far away_  
 _I'll find my love some day_  
 _Some day when my dreams_  
 _Come true"_

Mickey skipped ahead of Minnie and took both her hands. He skated backwards and gently swayed the two of them back to the pond's center. Minnie proceeded to lift one leg into the air. Mickey then let their left hands go, swerved in front of Minnie, and joined her at her right side. He kicked up one leg as hers was, and leaned in so close their hearts almost touched.

 _"Some day I'll find my love_  
 _Someone to call my own_  
 _And I'll know him the moment we meet_  
 _For my heart will start skipping a beat"_

The couple simultaneously dipped their escalated toes back down to the ice. Then Minnie pushed off from Mickey and the two swiftly chased one another around the pond. Minnie flip-jumped ahead of Mickey, getting a little braver and faster with each stunt.

 _"Some day we'll say and do_  
 _Things we've been longing to_  
 _Though he's far away_  
 _I'll find my love some day_  
 _Some day when my dreams_  
 _Come true"_

Mickey finally got the idea, and broke from his path of chasing Minnie. He took large strides, racing passed her, then on her final jump which exceeded any height a non-toon could reach, he caught her. Mickey lifted Minnie by her waist over his head. His skates circled on the ice, and her whole being flew with the wind in her face. Minnie held her arms out like an airplane. The Fair Folk hummed an additional verse. Finally Mickey clicked his heel into his inner skate to stop. He carefully lowered Minnie. Minnie wrapped her arms around Mickey's neck to steady herself. The lovers gazed into each other's eyes, getting lost in a sea of fond memories.

 _"Some day when my dreams... come true."_

Minnie blinked when the song ended. It was like waking up from a dream; one she never wanted to wake from.

"That was so wonderful." Minnie sighed. Mickey nodded in agreement. He squinted through the thick tree branches to see the sky was still sky blue. They had hours before sunset.

"I'll bet it gets even better." Mickey laughed. He looked expectantly towards the trees for another song. But the trees had lost their technicolor firefly glow. There were no Fair Folk in sight. "Hey, where did everybody go?" Mickey queried the empty trees. Bushes rustled momentarily on the bank near the frozen snow globe. "Tink?" Mickey called. Without warning, a band of pirates sprang from the brush. Mickey instinctively stepped in front of Minnie, ready to protect her. But he soon realized Minnie was not the target. The pirates charged towards the pond, and stabbed their swords through the ice around the snow globe. "NO!" Mickey shouted. He bolted towards the snow globe. As if that was their cue, two more pirates threw ropes down from the trees and fell through their leafy cover. One gargantuan pirate scooped Minnie up, while an equally enormous pirate held a dagger to her throat. Mickey stopped in his tracks at the sound of his wife's ear-splitting shriek.

"MICKEY!" The mouse looked hopelessly at her. It was time to prove Minnie was more important to him than the snow globe after all. He had no choice but to save Minnie first, because if he didn't... she would kill him for it later. Mickey leaped at the pirate holding the dagger. He grabbed hold of an arm practically the size of his body. The pirate discarded the dagger and flipped Mickey into a choke hold with ease. The crushing force on Mickey's chest made him wince. Satisfied with this response, the pirate squeezed Mickey harder, until Mickey uttered a pained squeak.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the one and only Mickey Mouse." A voice sneered. The voice belonged to none other than Captain Hook, who confidently made his entrance. The captain marched across the ice, and met Mickey eye to eye.

"H-Hook." Mickey coughed.

"Don't look so surprised. Did you truly believe _I_ didn't know about Walt's little treasure?" Hook cackled. Mickey's eyes bulged. 'Don't tell me he's after it too!' The mouse thought. Suddenly Tinkerbell came rocketing through the air, furiously jingling. She swooped down on Captain Hook, making him dodge her rapid attacks. "Pesky fairy! Whoa!" Hook yelled as his feet slipped out from under him. His backside hit the cold ice, and he shot up with rage. He snatched Tinkerbell by the wings. "You wretched little..." The captain fumed. Tinkerbell fearlessly cut him off.

++++ ++ +* +** ++++ + + + +!

Strangely, Tinkerbell's outburst did not enrage Captain Hook. Instead stood up and looped some spare thread around Tinkerbell's wings and torso.

"No, Tinkerbell I haven't forgotten Walt's deal." Hook said with forced calmness. "And as of right now, THAT DEAL IS NO LONGER YOUR CONCERN!" He exploded, throwing the immobilized fairy into the forest and out of sight. Captain Hook glared at Mickey. Careful of the ice, Hook crept towards the mouse. "Ordinarily she would be right, and you know how I honor the commitments I make." Captain Hook spoke, sliding his hook under Mickey's chin. "An old man says you're running out of time." Mickey gulped.


	8. Sleigh Bells On Ice Part 3

Mickey watched his and Minnie's shadows bob up and down over a bulky pirate's shadow. The two had been gagged, bound in rope, and thrown over one pirate's shoulders. Since their hands were tied against their chests, they had no access to their hammerspaces, and no means of escape. The snow globe was out of reach too. Ahead of them, Mr. Smee carried a burlap sack containing the snow globe, still frozen in a block of ice. So Mickey did the only thing he could do; watch two round-eared shadows bob up and down, and think. Mickey knew he and Minnie were being carried off to Captain Hook's ship: the Jolly Roger. He also remembered Walt saying to come aboard the Jolly Roger at sunset. If Hook was taking them exactly where they needed to be, was he complying to Walt's specific instructions? Was he told to intervene as the villain, just so Mickey and friends could have a foe to outmatch? Mickey deemed it plausible. Still, it was not yet sunset. With that in mind, Mickey recalled the last thing Hook said to him before he ordered the mice be gagged. 'An old man says you're running out of time.' Mickey's eyes widened with panic. _'Yen Sid!'_ The mouse realized. 'Oh, no. Hardly one day in and we're already running out of time?' Just then Mickey and Minnie were carelessly dropped into a thirty-man lifeboat. The mice had fallen aside Goofy, who was gagged and bound just as they were. Also in the lifeboat sat Donald, Daisy, Peter, Martha, and Timothy. Pluto stood on the beach, muzzled and tied to a bench at the front of the boat. He growled and thrashed to break free. At the sight of Mickey, Pluto dashed to the stern, put his paws up on the boat's edge, and stuck his stretchy cartoon tongue through his muzzle, giving Mickey's face a slobbery lick. Mickey squinted one eye in slight distaste, though he was glad for Pluto's gesture. Luckily Pluto, the kids, and the rest of the gang appeared unharmed.

Then Captain Hook stepped aboard the lifeboat and barked orders from the bow. Of course Mr. Smee stood directly behind the captain and stuttered back every word. The crew struggled to push the lifeboat into the bay. Pluto noticed the lifeboat slowly inched away from the shore, as did the rope linking him to the boat. Pluto gasped and attempted to jump into Mickey's lap. But a pirate grabbed him by his collar and tossed him into the water. Mickey let out a silent cry for Pluto. The pirates shoved the boat through the shallow water, and piled in once it was afloat. Pluto shook himself dry and waded back to Mickey. Just a few more meters and... SPLASH! In one step the sand slipped out from under him, and there was nothing to catch him but cold, dark water. Pluto surfaced from his nosedive, being dragged by his collar. The golden hound swam after the lifeboat, desperate to give his leash slack and catch up with Mickey. Pluto reached the lifeboat's stern and met eyes with Mickey. While the pirates were occupied with rowing, Mickey leaned over the edge. The mouse had gnawed through most of his fabric gag.

"Can ya make kit, Pahl?" Mickey lisped. Pluto searched the horizon for a pirate ship. He gulped when he spotted the tiny white sails in the distance. Pluto looked back to Mickey and whimpered. Mickey located the white sails as well. "Jusht shtay with me, Plu'o. An' when we get there, I'll give Hook a piesh a' my mind." Mickey vowed. Pluto nodded. Time ticked by slowly with each paddle of oars and paws. Mickey would never know just how much time passed, with time being such an unimportant and limitless thing in Neverland. Eventually the lifeboat floated into the shadow of the Jolly Roger. But before the lifeboat was secured to be hoisted up on a pulley system, Captain Hook slid his hook under Pluto's collar, and held the dog up to his face. Pluto snarled in protest.

"Well, let's see if you make a better seagull than you do an anchor!" Hook sneered. He then tossed Pluto over his head and sent him flying.

"Baarooooooooo!" Pluto howled. A hard thud followed by shattering dishes sounded on the ship's deck. Mickey spat out the last piece of cloth he'd been shredding. Now Hook had gone too far.

"Hey ya big palooka! Nobody treats my dog that way!" Mickey shouted. Captain Hook stared Mickey down, looking somewhat amused. The lifeboat gave a jerk as Captain Hook's crew pulled the boat to the upper deck.

"Forgive me for being so absentminded. How could I not see this before?" Hook spoke, closing the distance between him and the mouse. Goofy daringly stuck out one of his big feet to trip Hook, but the captain saw this coming and jabbed the heel of his boot into Goofy's toes. "Far be it from me to separate a mouse and his beloved dog." Captain Hook drawled with fake sympathy. "You must be _dying_ to join him!" Without warning Captain Hook grabbed Mickey by the throat and threw him on deck. Mickey screamed as he rocketed over the railing and faceplanted into a mast. With his face still in contact with the mast, Mickey slowly slid down until his chin dropped to the deck. For a moment his vision was filled with red stars and black pirate flags spinning around his head. Suddenly the red haze around him was broken by fast moving gold. Pluto had come to his rescue. The dog leapt on him, knocking the mouse over on his side. Mickey came out of his stupor, thanks to Pluto's tongue and drool not missing a corner of Mickey's face.

"Ha-ha! Good boy, Pluto." Mickey commented. "Okay, down. Down." Mickey wiggled like a worm to sit up and Pluto reluctantly backed off. While rubbing his cheek against his shoulder to rid his face of Pluto's slobber, Mickey realized his gag had fallen off. Pluto's face was also free of its muzzle. Suddenly the calls of Pluto and Mickey's friends and family filled their ears. On the lower portion of the main deck, below twin staircases separated by a walkway, pirates bound the rest of the gang to a mast. Mickey and Pluto hopped to the red and gold railing and watched the scene below them.

"Let us go, you brutes!" Minnie screeched, kicking at her captors. Captain Hook stepped into view, looking proud and confident.

"Hey! What's the big idea, kidnapping us?!" Donald quacked.

"And scaring the children half to death!" Daisy added.

"And what'cha did to Mickey and Pluto wasn't nice either!" Goofy scolded. Captain Hook addressed Minnie.

"I have every intention of letting you all go." Hook smirked. At the snap of his fingers, Mr. Smee came running with the burlap sack containing the snow globe. "On what terms, will be decided when Mickey shows his cowardly face."

"You can't keep the snow globe! You don't know what it can do." Timothy warned. If Peter could move his arms, he would have elbowed him in the gut.

"Big mouth." Peter muttered, then more clearly pleaded "Can somebody gag him again?" Suddenly a dagger flew through the air, pierced Captain Hook's hat, and mounted it on the mast.

"Whoa." The Mouse children admired.

"What in the high seas?!" Captain Hook exclaimed. He turned around as another dagger grazed his coat, tearing him a new pocket. This time Hook saw Mickey's round ears duck behind a barrel at the top of the left staircase. "Come down and fight like a man!" Captain Hook demanded.

"Okay. Here I am." Mickey's voice called from over Hook's shoulder. The captain looked back just in time for Mickey's yellow shoes to collide with his face. Captain Hook fell flat on his back, gaping at the mouse swinging on a rope tied to the crow's nest. At the top of the stairs, a Mickey Mouse hat attired Pluto jumped out from behind a barrel. He barked triumphantly.

"Seize him!" Captain Hook hollered. Mickey let go of the rope. The moment his feet hit the deck, he was clothed in his sorcerer's apprentice robe. Mickey didn't mean to use his magic then and there; especially since Master Yen Sid had often cautioned him not to use magic as an easy way out. Yet something compelled Mickey to do so. He outstretched his right arm and made a rainbow motion over his head. Suddenly the Jolly Roger was struck by a massive wave that crashed on the ship. A blinding blast of white water ripped the sails, and swept up everything and everyone the wave's controller deemed unnecessary for the coming duel. Once the wave flowed over the ship, it left the Jolly Roger in ruins and flooded, Captain Hook's crew all thrown overboard, the snow globe unscathed, and the captive toons plus Captain Hook wet but safe. Mickey wielded a magic sword before slowly transforming his robe back into his red shorts.

"This fight is between you and me, Hook." Mickey declared. Captain Hook chuckled as he got to his feet.

"Very well, Mickey. En garde!" Mickey lunged at his opponent, hoping to get the upper hand right away. The swords clinked together, and survival instincts took Mickey by the hand. He danced around Hook, outdoing Hook's strength with his own speed. The swords crossed high and low. Hook blocked Mickey's blows, advanced close to him, but hardly made a move to strike at Mickey's chest. The mouse only noticed how defensive Hook fought when the captain stepped back. Captain Hook continued to retreat, until he stood at the base of the staircase. Mickey jumped up on the railing so he stood eye to eye with the captain. To keep up his act, Hook made a convincing attack just above Mickey's left ear. In one swift movement, Mickey knelt to his right, swung his blade under Hook's arm, and knocked Hook's blade out of his hand. Immediately Captain Hook, lifted his arms in surrender. To any bystander the whole scene looked suspicious. Mickey pointed his sword at Captain Hook's throat.

"It's over, Hook. Now let my family and friends go." Mickey panted. Hook only stared at the silver sword, threatening to spill a lot of ink. A shadow fell over the blade. Then the shadow was separated by transparent streams of light. 'A flame?' Mickey thought, studying the strange mirage. Suddenly silver flames burst from the sword, and engulfed Mickey's face. The mouse felt no heat, no burning sensation eating his skin. Just very ill. His face turned pale, his head felt heavy, his ears rang, his stomach boiled, and in an instant everything turned to black. Unbeknownst to Mickey, it was a charcoal grey scaled demon, much like the red scaled ones who invaded Disneyland. Minnie screamed at the awful sight of the demon emerging from the sword's flames, and knocking Mickey's limp body to the floor.

"Mickey!" Donald hollered.

"C'mon Mick! Wake up!" Goofy shouted.

The creature hunched over Mickey to examine him. However it was interrupted by Pluto's mad barking. Pluto bolted down the stairs. He lunged for the creature, but just before he could sink his teeth into its neck, the creature morphed into silver fire, and Pluto suffered the same ailment as Mickey. Meanwhile Captain Hook dusted off his coat.

"I was beginning to think that wouldn't work after all these years." he groaned. Hook approached his remaining captives whilst the demon grabbed Mickey and Pluto's tails, and dragged them along behind the captain.

"You're with these bat-things?!" Donald gasped.

"Seventeen years is a long time to ignore a treasure. I wonder what kept you all so long." Captain Hook mocked, removing his hat and Mickey's dagger from the mast. Hook placed his hat back on his head. The demon dropped Pluto and Mickey at Hook's feet. It's yellow eyes locked on the snow globe, laying on its side in a nearby puddle. Before the demon could make a dash for the snow globe, Captain Hook stopped it. "Not so fast!" Hook roared. Next the captain pointed to the mast with his hook. The creature ducked his head low and leaped to the mast, digging its claws into the wood a foot or two above Minnie's head. It's pointed tail brushed against Minnie's neck before it adjusted itself to hang upside-down. Peter, Martha, and Timothy yelped when the demon screeched at them. Minnie forced herself to keep a straight face. "Subdue the children first. It will be more humane." Captain Hook ordered. The grey demon licked its bloodstained fangs eagerly.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" Minnie exclaimed. The creature burst into silver flames, and swallowed the Mouse children in a dome of fire. Minnie's eyes filled up with tears; too overwhelmed to scream any longer. Though Donald, Daisy, and Goofy voiced their concern and fear loudly. The flames left the three bodies, once again materializing into demon form. Three small bodies laid motionless against the mast. Martha leaned on Peter's shoulder, Peter rested his chin on the ropes across his chest, and Timothy strained his neck so his cheek touched his shoulder. All eyes were closed. Minnie struggled to find the right words, until the creature moved on to Daisy. "Stop this! Please! Why are you doing this?" Minnie begged. Captain Hook watched as Daisy was knocked out cold, followed by Goofy and Donald.

"My dear, I do only what's necessary and binding by contract." Hook defended. He paced back and forth. "As you know, flight is the only transportation to and from Neverland. And according to a deal struck up by Walt, in order for my men and I to play a part in his scavenger hunt, Tinkerbell can only help you all so long as you are in her care. That time has obviously passed and flight by pixie dust is no longer an option. Therefore it is up to me to decide how you advance to the next clue." Just then a jolly and rather clumsy pirate threw himself aboard. Captain Hook looked over his shoulder and rolled his eyes. "Tis about _time,_ Mr. Smee." Hook groaned.

"Yes Captain. You see, with the damage to the ship, um the crew..." Mr. Smee reasoned.

"I don't care! Just ready the cannons!" Captain Hook roared.

"Yes Captain!" With that, Smee saluted the captain and hurried off.

"Cannons?!" Minnie cried.

"You'll never find a faster way out of Neverland, than being blasted out." Captain Hook laughed.

"Hook, this is not funny. Mickey and I were animated in the inkblot era. We were drawn to do stunts like this and bounce back without a scratch. Our kids were not! They need toon training to tackle something like this. And they're so young right now they're practically mortal. Their movie hasn't even premiered yet. So don't you even think about putting them in that cannon!" Minnie asserted.

"On the contrary Minnie, what they don't know won't hurt them." Hook justified. Minnie lost all focus on the world around her after that. Her vision was clouded with white and silver lights, her ears rang, her throat dried, her head throbbed, until everything including herself seemed to disappear into black.


	9. The Tall Pointer Part 1

The brisk air and chilling snow numbed the pain of sticks and thorns piercing Mickey's sides. He opened his eyes slowly. The first thing he noticed was that he was back in Toontown; probably in a Toontown forest. Snow covered twigs intertwined like a spider's web a few inches above the mouse's head. He was blind to most of the dead briar that tangled around him, for the night sky was cloudy and without moonlight. The second thing that dawned on him was that an object weighed down on his chest, and his arms held it there as if his life depended on it. Mickey lifted the object and touched its glass sphere. 'The snow globe!' Mickey mentally rejoiced. He was so relieved the snow globe was still safe after... whatever happened on the Jolly Roger. He couldn't remember at the moment.

An animal's howl sounded in the distance. Mickey shot up out of the snow, briefly getting his ears caught in thorns. Mickey ducked down low again. He felt around the twigs and vines, trying to find an opening. Suddenly something came tumbling through the brush; something on all fours and with a flashlight? The animal continued to yelp with every clumsy step. It's 'flashlight' jerked up and down. Mickey smiled upon realization.

"Pluto! Over here!" Mickey called. The flashlight shined in Mickey's direction, and Pluto came barreling through the wall of thorns. He happily barked and licked Mickey's face. The mouse was already crammed in a small space and knelt down to Pluto's level. So he didn't bother resisting the overfriendly greeting. "It's good to see you too... Pluto?" Mickey queried. He squinted at the bright light coming from Pluto's head. The dog wore a yellow AJAX hardhat with a headlamp clipped onto it. Pluto got the idea and pointed his hat at the ground. "Thanks." Mickey said. Pluto sat down a moment to scratch the burrs out of his coat. "Have you seen anyone else?" Mickey asked. Pluto shook his head. Mickey looked at the hollowed trail Pluto left through the thicket. "Gosh, you blazed a pretty good trail." Mickey observed. "You think it can get us outta here?" Pluto barked an affirmative, and lead the way through the animal trail. Mickey almost had to crawl to follow. They walked for some time only accompanied by the crunching of snow and the occasional snap of a twig. The more Mickey and Pluto wandered in silence, the more Mickey worried about Minnie and the others. The last thing he remembered was fighting Captain Hook. What happened afterwards was a mystery. A few steps ahead of him, Pluto stopped abruptly. His tail stuck straight out, his right paw lifted, the fur on the back of his neck ruffled up, and his nose pointed straight ahead. "What is it, boy?" Mickey wondered.

A menacing growl rose from Pluto's throat. His mouth opened slightly, revealing his canine teeth. Pluto's warnings sent chills down Mickey's spine. As if that weren't bad enough, the light on Pluto's hardhat began to flicker. Before Mickey could beg any deity to keep their pathway lit, the headlamp's battery burned out. The thicket was pitch black once again. Pluto never faltered. The dog stood his ground still growling at the unseen threat. However, Mickey was terrified. He looked in every direction for the danger closing in on them, but detected nothing. Was Pluto's growling getting quieter and Mickey's heartbeat pounding in his ears getting louder? The mouse nearly jumped out of his skin when a new light flashed a ways off Pluto's beaten path.

"Doggone dog, tearin' up my stompin' grounds! Doggone flea bitten mutt, why I uh-uh-uh I otta!" An oddly familiar voice grumbled. It sounded hoarse with a thick southern accent. Mickey latched his fingers around Pluto's collar to keep him from attacking the unknown friend or foe. The light moved onto Pluto's path. A lantern, highlighted the features of a toon about Mickey's hight; a rabbit in fact. The rabbit walked hunched over and with his eyes to the ground, following Pluto's tracks. With the stranger now in plain sight, and obviously not a bat-faced monster, Pluto ceased growling. However he stayed vigilant. Mickey's gave the rabbit a strange look. There was a toon he hadn't spoken to in over thirty years. Could it really be?

"Br'er Rabbit?" Mickey asked. The rabbit stopped his mumbling. He looked up from the tracks and waved his lantern about.

"Wh-wh-at? Who says dat? Who call me?" The rabbit stuttered. The light fell upon Mickey and Pluto. Br'er Rabbit recognized the mouse immediately. "HOWDY, neighbor! How you come on?" Br'er Rabbit exclaimed. He bounded up to Mickey. "Ain't you a sight for sore eyes! Yes sir, I hasn't seen you in a coon's age!"

"Yeah, it's been a while." Mickey agreed awkwardly. Pluto curiously sniffed at Br'er Rabbit's cotton tail. The rabbit swiftly swatted Pluto's nose away.

"Hey, a-buh-buh-buh- back off now! Ya hear?" Br'er Rabbit warned, raising his fist. He did a double-take at Pluto.

"Br'er Rabbit, this is my dog Pluto." Mickey introduced. Br'er Rabbit scowled.

"Yeah I reckon I done seen him in the pictures." Br'er Rabbit pondered, referring to Pluto's cartoons. "And I reckon he done gone n' tore up my briar patch." The rabbit blamed.

"We're really sorry about that." Mickey apologized. "We were just trying to find our way out. Can you help us?" Br'er Rabbit scratched his head with the tip of one ear.

"Sho' thing, Mickey. But 'splain somethin' to me first. How'd y'all get in without leavin' tracks at the gate?" Br'er Rabbit asked.

"I... don't know. I can't remember how we got here." Mickey confessed. He shrugged his shoulders, lifting the snow globe just enough for the glass to reflect back the light of Br'er Rabbit's lantern. Br'er Rabbit's eyes lit up with surprise.

"What's dat you's holdin'?" The rabbit inquired. Mickey glanced down at the snow globe. "C'mon. Lemme see it." Br'er Rabbit insisted, snatching the snow globe out of Mickey's grip. Pluto barked in alarm.

"Hey! Be careful with that!" Mickey pleaded. Br'er Rabbit examined the snow globe, before giving it a definitive nod.

"Yep. Dat why you's here." Br'er Rabbit sighed to the snow globe. He looked at Mickey again. "Ya flew here." Br'er Rabbit announced.

"Huh?" Mickey questioned.

"Ya flew in from Neverland 'cause da pirate done shoot ya outta a cannon." Br'er Rabbit elaborated, scrutinizing the snow globe again, as if he were reading from a crystal ball. A light bulb turned on in Mickey's head.

"Br'er Rabbit... don't tell me..." Mickey began. Br'er Rabbit met Mickey's stare with an all-knowing smirk on his face. "You know exactly what that is, don't you?" The mouse concluded, pointing to the snow globe.

"Mm-hmm, 'deed I do." Br'er Rabbit confirmed. He handed the snow globe back to Mickey. "C'mon now. We got a load a' business to take care of." Br'er Rabbit urged, turning around and marching back the way he came. Mickey and Pluto followed at the rabbit's heels.

"Wait a minute. Do you know where Minnie and the others are?" Mickey implored.

"Oh, they's someplace about here or over yonder." Br'er Rabbit guessed casually. "But they'll turn up some time, don't you worry none." Mickey opened his mouth to voice his opinion on the rabbit's current lack of concern, but a high-pitched shriek cut him off.

"MICKEY!"

"Minnie!" The mouse gasped. Br'er Rabbit just smiled.

"See? What I just got done tellin' ya?" Br'er Rabbit boasted.

It took Mickey, Br'er Rabbit, and Pluto twenty minutes to track down each toon's crash site in the briar patch. Despite being fired out of a cannon, not even the Mouse children had a scratch on them. The Sensational Six minus Pluto, was rather shocked to see Br'er Rabbit again. But Timothy was most interested in him. As the adults conversed about Captain Hook's deed with the grey monster, Timothy concentrated on Br'er Rabbit's foreign dialect. Finally whilst Br'er Rabbit lead his nine guests through the least dense part of the briar patch, Timothy limped (on the count of pixie dust wearing off) to Br'er Rabbit's side and asked

"Why do you talk like that?" The question caught everyone off guard, including Br'er Rabbit. The rabbit hung his jaw for a second before coming up with the simplest answer he could think of.

"Cuz my voice actor taught me to, honey." Br'er Rabbit responded.

"Oh." The youngest mouse said. "Why did he do that?"

"Timothy!" Minnie rebuked.

"What?" Timothy innocently cried. Mickey gave Br'er Rabbit an apologetic half-smile. Br'er Rabbit shrugged it off. 'Kids say the darnedest things.' both of them seemed to think.

"Say, you folks mus' be a-hankering fo' supper, huh?" Br'er Rabbit predicted. The Sensational Six looked at each other, searching for an explanation.

"Supper?" Goofy repeated. The Mouse children locked their eyes on Br'er Rabbit, having not understood the fast talking rabbit the first time.

"Yes, please!" Martha voiced.

"We're starving!" Peter blurted.

"Br'er Rabbit? What day is it?" Mickey asked with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Thursday. Why?" Br'er Rabbit answered.

"What about the date?" Mickey continued.

"December da 15th. Why?" Br'er Rabbit replied.

"And the time?" Mickey went on.

"Do I look like yo' personal planner to you?" Br'er Rabbit complained. "Seven in da evenin' give o' take a few haurs. Now, uh-uh-uh-uh what's dis about?" Mickey felt like kicking himself.

"But that's impossible." Daisy claimed.

"No, Daisy. It's not." Mickey countered. "We spent too much time in Neverland. We lost an entire day we could have been solving more clues."

"Aw, dat's no trouble. See my clue is a-better sought out in da nighttime anyways." Br'er Rabbit reassured. The briar patch opened to a small clearing and a dirt path. To the right stood Br'er Rabbit's house under a human sized split-rail fence, almost completely taken over by the briar patch. The path was blanketed in snow and littered with rabbit tracks, leading in and out of a rabbit sized picket fence and door. Just as Br'er Rabbit mentioned, the path was clear of Mickey's or Pluto's tracks. "Well, here we is. Home sweet home." Br'er Rabbit chimed. "Y'all come in an' make youselves at home." He invited, opening the door. The mice, ducks, and Pluto entered in easily, but it was a bit of a squeeze to get Goofy inside. Thanks to toon logic, of course the house was bigger on the inside. In fact it looked a lot nicer on the inside too. Br'er Rabbit had not a rundown shack, but a well kept, quaint country house. "Go on, sit down. Relax a bit. Keep yo' shoes on. I don' mind none." Br'er Rabbit coaxed. "Oh, an' Mickey. You best hear my clue, whilst I cook up some grub. I figure ya ain't heard it yet." He added.

"Will do, Br'er Rabbit." Mickey assured. The gang took their seats in front of the stone fireplace on the wood floor. The couch wasn't occupied. Everyone just wanted to be as close to the snow globe as possible. They were all anxious to hear the next clue. So on the floor they gathered just as the Sensational Six gathered in Walt's apartment. Mickey took a calming breath.

"The third clue." He stated. "Okay, Daisy. What's the code?" Mickey asked.

"Zero, seven, zero, nine, two, eight." Daisy recited. Mickey keyed in the numbers on the bottom of the snow globe. Then he flipped the snow globe over, and placed it in the middle of the group. Once again the globe filled with a swirling snow storm, and another recording of Walt's voice played.

"If you hit the briar patch, you're in the right place. When you've got your bearings, ask Br'er Rabbit for an open fire cooked meal and a story. Stay alert, Mickey. Not just for danger, but for things you never knew before. As many things as I ask you to do, I also want you to learn. You will understand soon enough. The next code is 062528. Use it after midnight."

The snow globe's picture pieced itself together in red and brown shapes. A pixelated ash colored background stormed behind the colorful figures that made out an image no one expected. As seen in Mickey's 1939 cartoon The Pointer, there stood Mickey with gun in hand, staring down the throat of a brown bear with his head half inside the animal's gaping mouth. After the image had earned a sinking feeling in Mickey's gut, the image broke apart. The colors were lost into the whiteout, and the blizzard calmed to a few particles of fake snow landing on figurine Mickey's head.

"Well, that can't be good." Mickey gulped, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Yes, sir! I hope y'all's hungry, cuz I done cooked up the sweetest buffet in all..." Br'er Rabbit beamed. He entered in the room with what looked like a rug rolled up over his shoulder. The rabbit paused when he noticed his guests sitting on the floor. "What's goin' on here? Is y'all savages?"

"No Br'er Rabbit. We were just waiting to hear a story by the fireplace." Timothy hinted. Mickey had to smile at that.

"Bless yer heart, child." Br'er Rabbit chuckled. "Ya jus' said da magic words." The rabbit unrolled the rug on the floor, revealing plates, silverware, and many dishes of southern meals and appetizers. The guests marveled at the toon trick. Br'er Rabbit sat down at the head of the table/rug. "Dig in, folks." Br'er Rabbit permitted. "An' lemme tell ya a story. Long ago in old times, der lived a couple a rabbits an' der young 'un. Papa Rabbit had smokey black fur. Mama Rabbit had fur like burnt tree bark; brown an' gray. An' Baby Rabbit's fur was as black as night wit'out stars, an' his cheeks were white. Just the brightest, purest white. Yep, Baby Rabbit was a cutie. His ma and pa say so, an' all da pretty rabbit dames say so too. Papa Rabbit loved Baby Rabbit mo' then anythin'.

Well da Rabbit family had some neighbors. Der was da Chipmunks, Bluebirds, Squirrels; all good happy family folk. But der was one neighbor who lived alone an' was kind to nobody. His name was Mink. Round dem parts, folks called him Charred Bottom for de way his snowy white fur turned black on his rump. Like he sat backwards too close to da camp fire one night." A few pairs of eyes looked up from dinner to give the rabbit narrator an awkward stare.

"Anyways... I says before, Charred Bottom Mink wasn' kind to nobody no how! Except when folks asked to harvest his prized gardens. Yes sir, Charred Bottom Mink had fields of gardens! Mo' den 'nough crops to feed da whole forest in hard times! An' when folks asked to harvest 'em crops for der families, Mink would say "Sho thing, neighbors! Take all da food y'all need! In exchange for ya silver 'n gold please. Ev'ry pick has a price, from apples to peas. A karat for a carrot. An' a gold piece for ev'ry fruit seed."

One bright n' sunny mornin', Baby Rabbit came hoppin' down da path wit' a big armful a' golden flowers. When all of a sudden he caught sight of Mink's cherry trees. He was awful hungry. So hungry, dat he walked straight into Mink's garden wit'out one thought a-payin'. He picked cherry after cherry an' stuffed 'em in his pockets. Dat's when Mink caught him. "Hope you can pay for all dat, boy!" Mink yelled. Baby Rabbit sloooowly looked down at his golden flowers an' said "Oh yes, Mr. Mink. I can pay." Just like dat, Mink let 'im be. Den Baby Rabbit spotted Mink's strawberry patch an' figured "Maybe if I pay wit' real tiny gold pieces I can get mo' food." So Baby Rabbit picked ev'ry last fruit in dat garden. An' all he left Mink was a pile o' tiny golden flower petals; one fer ev'ry seed.

Ol' Mink was furious! He marched up to Papa Rabbit dat afternoon sayin' he'd skin him if Baby Rabbit didn' give back his stollen harvest. But by den Baby Rabbit an' his friends ate all de harvest. Yes sir, dey ate it all up. Da Rabbits were poor an' had no gold pieces to pay Mink. So Papa Rabbit did de only thing he could do. He'd pay for da harvest wit' Baby Rabbit's labor. It broke his heart, but he sold Baby Rabbit."

 _"What?!"_ Peter spoke up. Mickey glared suspiciously at Br'er Rabbit. Where was he going with this story anyway?

"Papa Rabbit could've done the labor himself." Martha suggested.

"Dat's what he wanted to do. But dat sly Mink tricked Papa Rabbit. Tricked him inta makin' Baby Rabbit a slave. Fer two seasons Baby Rabbit worked hard in Mink's garden to pay off dat debt; only leavin' his work to go home an' sleep. But when da two seasons were up an' da debt was payed, Mink wouldn' let Baby Rabbit go home. Say Baby Rabbit his property now. Papa Rabbit tried ta sell Mink everythin' he own in exchange fer Baby Rabbit. Mink took da Rabbits' home an' property. But Mink jus' wanted Baby Rabbit. He was a hard worker an' too kind to make a fuss anytime Mink kicked him 'round. Left wit' nothin' but a few carrots, Papa Rabbit an' Mama Rabbit had ta leave da forest fo' a better life. They never saw Baby Rabbit again."


	10. The Tall Pointer Part 2

"Then what happened?" Peter asked after a long pause from Br'er Rabbit.

"Afraid dat's all der is to tell, honey." Br'er Rabbit stated. The three Mouse children bowed their heads sorrowfully. One could almost see the wheels turning in their heads as they dwelt on the sad story.

"Well, we should help clean this up. Right Daisy?" Minnie cut in. She began stacking the dirty dishes together. Br'er Rabbit held up a hand for her to stop.

"Oh, no, no ma'am. Much obliged, but I can take care of dis." Br'er Rabbit politely objected.

"Actually Br'er Rabbit, I'd like to have a word with you." Mickey interrupted. He left the rug, and walked to the hallway without giving Br'er Rabbit a choice in the matter.

"Uh, sho' thing." Br'er Rabbit mumbled to the open air. He followed Mickey around the corner. Just when Mickey was about to let everything off his chest, Br'er Rabbit shushed him. The rabbit opened a door on the left that looked nothing more than a coat closet. He pushed the door open, revealing a shadowy flight of stairs down to the basement. Br'er Rabbit hit a switch, lighting the stairs with a single hanging lightbulb. Mickey let Br'er Rabbit lead the way down the eerie stairs. At the bottom, Br'er Rabbit hit another switch, lighting up a wide garage-like room. The walls were unpainted, but they certainly weren't empty. The whole room was decorated in framed photographs and momentos of Br'er Rabbit's life. Mickey had to admire it. For a toon who's movie had been ridiculed by many and quickly forgotten by all, he'd definitely lived a full life up to that point. Oddly there were almost no knickknacks or photos pertaining to 'Song of the South'. Finally Mickey spotted a laminated poster featuring Br'er Rabbit, James Baskett, and the young Bobby Driscoll and Luana Patten. Around that hung photos of Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear with the rest of the cast. There was even one in a golden frame of Br'er Rabbit shaking hands with Walt. Of all the treasures and memories from working on Song of the South, only two of those things were present elsewhere in the room: Br'er Rabbit's voice actor, John Lee Hooker and Walt Disney. Everything else was kept in that corner of the room. Not even Br'er Bear and Br'er Fox seemed to be present in Br'er Rabbit's well accomplished life after Song of the South. "You know what my favorite lines is in dat movie?" Br'er Rabbit hollered. Mickey flinched. He turned around to see Br'er Rabbit pulling out a couch bed on the far side of the room.

"No. What is it?" Mickey questioned. The rabbit threw a heavy quilt over the couch bed, and hopped to Mickey's side.

"Just 'cause these here tales is 'bout critters like Br'er Rabbit an' Br'er Fox, that don't mean they ain't the same like can happen to folks! So them who can't learn from a tale about critters, just ain't got the ears tuned for listenin'." Br'er Rabbit quoted.

"That tale you told..." Mickey started. "What were you thinking?" Br'er Rabbit tilted his head curiously.

"Excuse me?" Br'er Rabbit asked.

"A rabbit becoming a slave? What kind of a story is that to tell kids? Br'er Rabbit, they don't understand slavery, and they shouldn't have to until they're in school. Did you see the look on Tim's face?" Mickey lectured. Br'er Rabbit clicked his tongue disapprovingly and shook his head.

"Tsk tsk, Brother. You ain't got yer ears tuned in. Dat story wasn' fo' da kiddies. Was fo' you." Br'er Rabbit corrected, pointing at Mickey's nose. "An' you may not like dat tale. But dat's da sad truth Walt wanted me to tell. Speakin' o' him, you remember it was Thursday, December da 15th when Walt had gone, same like it is dis year?" Br'er Rabbit babbled. Mickey was taken back by the rabbit's words. He hadn't expected Br'er Rabbit to remember Walt's death down to the specific day of the week. Now he could say he learned a few things from his time with Br'er Rabbit.

"I didn't think it affected you that much." Mickey confessed.

"It affected all of us toon folk." Br'er Rabbit said glumly. The rabbit left the mouse standing there at the wall. "You and you's family can hit the hay down here 'til midnight. Need mo' blankets an' such, check da closet. It gets mighty cold down here in winter nights." Br'er Rabbit informed. Without another word, Br'er Rabbit hopped up the stairs. Mickey stayed put, contemplating Br'er Rabbit's story. His eyes wandered to another picture of Walt. This one was a self portrait, absent of Br'er Rabbit.

"You made up that story just for me to hear?" Mickey asked the portrait. Something about his words didn't sound right. 'No.' He realized. 'You didn't make it up. Br'er Rabbit said it was... the truth?' Mickey dashed for the stairs. He needed more answers. However Br'er Rabbit had already fed the gang and told his story. He probably already accomplished everything Walt asked of him. Mickey slowed his pace. He decided he wouldn't get much else out of Br'er Rabbit. What he needed was to solve more clues. Unfortunately he couldn't continue that until midnight. Mickey reached the main floor and closed the door behind him. He could hear Minnie in the kitchen, washing dishes as she volunteered to do. Goofy entertained the children by being... goofy, what else? Donald, Daisy, and Br'er Rabbit were nowhere to be seen. Pluto came to Mickey's side and nudged against him. Mickey patted the dog's head. "Peter, Martha, Tim." He beckoned. The children lined up single file in front of him. "Come on, you three should get ready for bed."

 _Meanwhile..._

"Whaddya mean we can't go home tomorrow, Unca' Donald?" Dewey whined. Donald fidgeted with Br'er Rabbit's home phone in his hand.

"I'm sorry boys. Something important's come up." Donald spoke regrettably.

"Well what is it? What's going on?" Louie asked.

"It's complicated. You're just gonna have to stay with Uncle Scrooge a bit longer. Maybe the whole weekend." Donald informed. "Are you sure I can't talk to Uncle Scrooge right now?"

"Yeah, he's _way_ too busy." Louie confirmed.

"He said if we interrupted his meeting, he'd make us shine every last coin in his money bin." Huey added. Donald nodded, understandingly. Donald endured that punishment once before, and afterwards couldn't grasp anything with his fingers for a week.

"Okay, okay. Just promise me you'll get the message to him first thing tomorrow morning." Donald compromised.

"We promise, Unca' Donald." The three chorused.

"And Junior..." Donald continued.

"Uh-huh?" A fourth voice spoke up.

"Play fair with your cousins. Listen to your Uncle Scrooge." Donald instructed. There was a brief pause and the faintest sound of whispers.

"Daddy? Are you going away for a long time?" Donald's heart melted.

"No, Son. This is just an adventure... for adults. I'll tell you all about very soon." Donald comforted.

"Like the adventures you and Unca' Scrooge used to go on?" The youngest duckling implored.

"Yes. Only this treasure is greater than anything Uncle Scrooge has ever discovered." Donald exaggerated as if telling a bedtime story. Before a reply came, the recipients of the call hung up. "Hello? Hello?" Donald scowled at the phone, having the slightest feeling that he'd been played for a fool. Back at the McDuck mansion, three of four ducklings gave each other sly looks.

"Boys? Who was that on the phone?" Scrooge hollered from another room.

"No one, Uncle Scrooge. Wrong number." Huey answered with a smirk.

The next six hours at Br'er Rabbit's house were rather uneventful. However the dullness of the situation had Mickey on edge. He couldn't wait till midnight when he could receive guidance from Walt. He seemed more determined than ever to move forward. But then again, he knew he couldn't move forward without completing the task assigned to the previous clue. Mickey couldn't be sure if he had done that yet. Had he learned everything Br'er Rabbit meant to teach him? And what about that bear in the snow globe? What did that mean? Obviously the mouse had a lot to figure out before midnight. Aside from Mickey, the toons slept soundly. Br'er Rabbit in his hammock, Donald and Daisy in the upstairs guest bedroom, Goofy on the couch, Pluto on a rug in the basement, Minnie at Mickey's side in the couch bed with the children sprawled over them. Despite how close the five mice were positioned, none but Mickey could hear his loud thoughts; his uncertainties that wouldn't be resolved until midnight no matter how hard he pondered them. Eventually Mickey gave up. He relaxed and let his eyes close for just a few seconds before...

"Rise n' shine! It's midnight!" Br'er Rabbit's voice echoed throughout the house. The rabbit stomped down the basement stairs and turned on all the lights. His guests moaned as the light hit their eyelids. Peter rolled onto Mickey's chest to shield his eyes, Martha hid her face in Minnie's pillow, and Timothy pulled the covers over his head. Br'er Rabbit left as soon as he barged in, to wake up the rest of the house. Mickey sat up, gently lowering Peter to the pillow. He'd hoped to give this speech at the formal celebration, but there was no changing fate now.

"Peter, Martha, Timothy." Mickey started.

"Hmph?" Peter muttered.

"Today your origin of animation 'Mickey's Christmas Carol' is released to the public's eye in your country of origin, the United States of America. It is on this day you are designated official Disney toons and representatives of Walt Disney. May you be the inspiration for hope and magic in the people's hearts. May you take your place in the this family, believe in it, protect it, and help it to grow. Peter Ubbe Mouse, Martha Marie Mouse, Timothy Walter Mouse, welcome to the Walt Disney Company." Mickey reverently decreed. The three mice didn't even perk their ears up. After a second the realization seeped in. Martha at least attempted to react.

"Yay..." Martha mumbled before falling asleep again.

December 16 1983 12:24 am.

Later, when the gang was dressed for wandering the bitter winter night, Br'er Rabbit lead everyone down a snowy dirt path along the briar patch fence. This time Br'er Rabbit walked without a lantern. Only dim moonlight kept everyone on the winding trail and not walking into trees. Mickey, who carried a slumbering Timothy on his back, walked alongside Br'er Rabbit.

"Br'er Rabbit, I was wondering..." Mickey hesitated.

"Yeah?" Br'er Rabbit responded.

"About what you said before in the basement..." Mickey carried on. That got Br'er Rabbit's attention.

"Ya got dose ears tuned now, neighbor?" Br'er Rabbit hoped. The confused look on Mickey's face said they weren't. Br'er Rabbit sighed. "Alright. Fine. Whatcha beatin' around da bush fer?"

"I was wondering why you had so little from Song of the South? I thought that would be a bigger part of your life." Mickey said. Br'er Rabbit silently stopped the group where the briar patch met the woods.

"Cuz dat's only 'un piece of me." Br'er Rabbit shrugged. "I don' 'spect you wanna ride steamboats ya whole life." Then Br'er Rabbit began to pace and kick up snow.

"Well not that I don't love freezing my feathers off, but it's after midnight; what are we waiting for?" Daisy demanded.

"Dat doggone bear." Br'er Rabbit grumbled, still pacing. Minnie caught that, and brought the snow globe out of her handbag.

"Br'er Rabbit, do you mean the bear in here?" She questioned, tapping the glass dome. The rabbit's expression suddenly changed. He grinned, focusing on something taller than Goofy in the woods.

"Nope. I mean da bear out here." The rabbit chimed.


	11. Fox Hunt Chase & Building a Skyscrapper

"Nope. I mean da bear out here." The rabbit chimed. Mickey felt his face turn ghostly pale. 'A bear? A real bear?' Mickey panicked. Then the most spine-chilling sound confirmed his fears. If a jet engine could pant, that was the sound that 'breathed' down Mickey's neck. The gang faced the woodland and jumped back in fright. Two tiny red eyes watched them from the darkness. Pluto barked off a warning, but the shadowed being paid no mind. The hulking figure stalked forward. Moonlight shined its jagged white teeth and highlighted the blue coat hanging over dark bristled fur. Mickey forced himself to take a few deep breaths. He recognized the Goliath form, and remembered getting along with him just as well as he got along with Br'er Rabbit back in the day. Still those eyes... Mickey couldn't trust those red eyes. He slid one heel backwards in the snow, preparing to run.

"H'yuck. Why it's only Br'er Bear." Goofy laughed. The bear in turn opened his mouth wide, and let out a ferocious, and completely animal growl. The sound hit Mickey like a wall of bricks coming down on him. Timothy woke up screaming. He latched his arms fearfully around Mickey's neck. Images of thunderclouds with jaws, or chainsaws opening the earth and letting out monsters filled his head so rapidly he could only scream. No, he wouldn't dare look up at what was really there. Timothy's cries raised a red flag in Mickey's mind. They had to get out of there.

"Run!" Mickey yelled. The gang bolted seconds before Br'er Bears claws struck the ground where only Mickey's footprints remained. The echoes of Br'er Bear's enraged growls caught up with the gang faster than the bear could. Still the toons ran even faster, in fear that the ill-tempered bear might catch up. They fled the dirt trail, hopped a split-rail fence, and dashed over the snow covered hills before finding a hiding place in a grove. Everyone took a position, and listened for Br'er Bear. But not a sound was heard. Mickey assumed they were safe for the time being. He let Timothy down, and leaned his back against the bark. "It's okay. He can't catch us up here." Mickey spoke up. Slowly his friends peaked out from behind the trees.

"Yeah. Until Br'er Bear follows our tracks." Donald muttered, sliding down a tree trunk.

" _Who_ is following us?" Peter asked, crawling out of a hollowed log.

"Br'er Bear." Minnie clarified. "He was Br'er Rabbit's co-star."

"Hey. Where is Br'er Rabbit anyway?" Daisy pointed out. Mickey wondered the same thing. He couldn't remember Br'er Rabbit running with them. Then it dawned on him. They were set up. Br'er Rabbit and Br'er Bear planned to scare them out of their wits. Mickey shook his head. If that was the big climax of the third clue, Mickey was not impressed; with Br'er Rabbit or Walt at the moment. Suddenly two grey appendages popped out of the snow in front of Mickey. Timothy ducked his head behind his father. Followed by the appendages, now obviously 'ears', came the rest of Br'er Rabbit. The rabbit grinned at the mouse.

"Howdy, neighbor. How doooo you doooo?" Br'er Rabbit sang.

"What do you think, ya cotton tailed hillbilly!" Donald exclaimed.

"Aw, don' go shootin' da messenger." Br'er Rabbit slyly pleaded. "Me n' Br'er Bear, done zactly as we told."

"So what was the point in us coming to you? You're not getting us any closer to the treasure. You're just watching us run around in circles on a wild goose chase." Daisy spat.

"Da point? Only Walt know dat fo' shore." Br'er Rabbit answered. "An' it ain't a goose chase. I knows dat much." Br'er Rabbit addressed Mickey. "I 'spect it's time fo' another clue." The ten toons huddled in the center of the grove. Minnie handed the snow globe over to Mickey. For the first time, Mickey noticed light shining through three windows on the train at the base of the snow globe.

"Daisy?" Mickey asked.

"Zero, six, two, five, two, eight." Daisy recalled. Mickey keyed in the numbers. The snow globe brewed another raging snow storm, and played Walt's next message.

"You're not out of the woods yet, gang. Before the sun rises, send Pluto and another out fox hunting. Scare Br'er Fox out of his hole and send him running for the hills. All is fair in fun and games. Don't expect to discover a life lesson or an important piece of the puzzle to suddenly appear. This stunt is mostly meant to give Br'er Rabbit a laugh, though it has its significance later on. Then you can rest as long as you want. Use the next code only when you know you need it. The next code is 061128."

After Walt's message played, blotches of black and grey/green splashed like water paint over the pure white blizzard. A few dull red and orange shapes surfaced forming a very shadowy picture of Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Clara Cluck riding horses shoulder to shoulder over a stone bridge. Many dogs with hound-like features, much more so than Pluto, raced ahead of the horses. Mickey didn't recognize the image straight away, but then he realized it was from Donald and Goofy's 1938 cartoon, The Fox Hunt. Mickey could hardly hide his dismay. The storm calmed and another window lit up. Mickey looked at Br'er Rabbit.

"Not Br'er Fox." Mickey objected.

"Oh yes, Br'er Fox. C'mon! Chickapin Hill ain't too far." Br'er Rabbit cheered. He hopped on his way through the snow. Mickey and the gang reluctantly followed.

"How do you like that?" Donald griped. "When we're supposed to have fun, we're put in danger. When we're in danger, Walt wants us to have fun with it."

"I have the feeling these games aren't going to end soon." Minnie agreed.

"I have a feeling this night won't end soon." Mickey commented.

So Br'er Rabbit showed the way back to the main path that eventually would lead them to Br'er Rabbit's briar patch. Of course Br'er Rabbit hopped in the opposite direction to find Chickapin Hill just around the bend. The toons followed Br'er Rabbit over hills and across a frozen river until Chickapin Hill was in sight. The high moon gave the hollowed tree sticking out of Br'er Fox's cave a long shadow. Suddenly Br'er Rabbit stopped his carefree skipping.

"Hold up, now." Br'er Rabbit ordered. The rabbit studied the ground. Several webbed footprints littered the trail. From what Br'er Rabbit could see, the footprint makers came from the fence line, stumbled in circles in the middle of the path, and sorted into a row heading straight for Chickapin Hill. Br'er Rabbit waved his hand, motioning the group to come closer. The rabbit pulled a lit lantern from his hammerspace and held it over the footprints. "Hmph, 'ppears to me y'all ain't de only visitors to dese parts." Br'er Rabbit pondered. "What y'all make o' dat?" He questioned, glancing over his shoulder.

"They look like..." Mickey began.

"No, it couldn't be..." Donald interrupted. For a moment he felt genuinely worried. Then he clenched his fists and furrowed his brow. "THOSE LITTLE BRATS! Wak-wak-wak-wak!" Donald exploded. He stomped and threw punches at the air. Everyone took a few steps back except for Daisy.

"Donald, what has gotten into you?!" Daisy demanded.

"It's the nephews and Junior!" Donald shouted to Daisy's face. "They followed me here! I don't know how, but they ran away from Uncle Scrooge and followed me here!"

"That's absurd! You don't know those are their footprints. And if they did run off, Scrooge would have contacted us by now." Daisy argued. Br'er Rabbit jumped up on a fence post and waved his lantern left to right. A second later he plunged into a field of seemingly dead crops. After he emerged, he approached Donald and Daisy with something red in his hand.

"Folks... I's sorry to say... dis did not come from Miss Possum's cornfield." With that, he dropped the Junior Woodchuck's Guidebook in Donald's hands.

"Oh my gosh!" Daisy gasped.

"Yep, and dey's headin' straight fo' trouble." Br'er Rabbit said, nodding to Chickapin Hill. "Br'er Fox, he gon' be awful mad when he catch 'em young 'uns tresspassin'." Br'er Rabbit drooped his ears. "Might do somethin' awful too."

"You don't think he would actually hurt them, do you?" Daisy fretted.

"Well, Br'er Fox is an ornery ol' forgotten toon. 'Streamly jealous of famous toons dat got it easy. He done some time in da big house too, so I hears it. If it were me, I's get 'em kiddies outta dere. _Fast._ " Br'er Rabbit informed, with his eyes still locked on the far off hill.

"That's just what we'll do." Mickey declared. Br'er Rabbit turned swiftly.

"Whoa, whoa, ah-buh-buh-buh-wait a minute, Mickey. Ain't you forgetin'? Just Pluto an' another is allowed up dere." Br'er Rabbit reminded. Mickey wanted to argue, but couldn't. Walt's word had to be followed exactly, down to the last detail. Mickey patted Donald's back.

"Donald, you gotta do this." Mickey decided. Donald looked into his friend's serious eyes.

"You're right. I'll do it." Donald vowed. "I'll bring them back safe and sound... so I can throttle them." He muttered under his breath. "Let's go, Pluto." With that, the duck and hound dog set off on their mission. They ran at toon speed over the hills, only slowing down to stealthily scope out Br'er Fox's cave. Coming around to the main entrance, Donald noticed the cave had a tarp over the opening to keep snow out. Pluto sniffed up and down the tarp, before freezing in a pointing position. "They're in there, huh?" Donald whispered. Suddenly he heard a voice. It was Br'er Fox ranting up a storm.

"I oughta teach you varmints a lesson! Yes sir, I oughta! Indeed I oughta burn ya in boilin' oil, pick yer feathers, and string ya up by yer skinny little necks! That'll do the trick!" The fast talking fox blasted. Donald and Pluto hid behind a pile of firewood hardly twenty feet from the cave's tarp. The firewood as well was draped in a tarp. Donald smirked. 'Good, it'll still burn.' He thought. Donald placed various sized sticks of dynamite and rockets in between the logs. On top of the stack he set up a powerful spotlight. With everything prepared, Donald whispered his plan to Pluto, and moved to the side of the cave. "...And that's what you deserve, you pests. When I'm done with you, you'll never come in my home and disturb my rest again!" Br'er Fox continued.

"But we only wanted directions to Br'er Rabbit's house." Louie cried. Unbeknownst to Donald, Br'er Fox stopped his advancement on the boys just long enough to pick up a giant axe.

"Well then, if that's the case... lemme show you how I treat friends of BR'ER RABBIT!" The fox snarled. Donald waved his arms to signal Pluto. The dog switched on the spotlight. Br'er Fox and four identical ducklings were silhouetted on the tarp. "What in tarnation?" Br'er Fox growled. Suddenly Donald lunged at Br'er Fox's shadow, bringing the blue tarp down with him. The ducklings shouted with surprise.

"Dad!"

"Uncle Donald!" The sailor duck wrestled the fox to the ground until he was wrapped up and immobilized in the knotted tarp.

"C'mon, boys. Let's get outta here." Donald panted. The five ducks made their escape from Chickapin Hill. Pluto followed close behind, but not without executing the most crucial part of Donald's plan. One match was all it took. The firewood exploded in a colorful cartoon blaze. Screeching rockets flew into the cave. From a safe distance, the Ducks and Pluto watched the cave entrance blow with fire and smoke. Br'er Fox scurried up his lookout tree, only to have the rockets launch him into the air, and erupt florescent fireworks around him. Then Br'er Fox dropped to the earth, leaving a fox sized crater. And finally the slanted, hollowed tree sticking out of Br'er Fox's cave, collapsed on top of him. The four ducklings celebrated and danced under the flaming technicolor sky. As did Br'er Rabbit elsewhere. Once the ducklings caught Donald's glare, they were silenced.

"We're sorry, Uncle Donald." Dewey apologized for the group. "We just wanted to help you find the treasure." Donald facepalmed.

"Oh boy, Deja vu. Wait till Mickey hears about this." He moaned. "Alright, I'll let you help. But you kids are still in a whole lot of trouble for running away."

"We didn't run away, Uncle Donald. We left a note." Louie explained.

"A note?" Donald repeated.

"Yeah, a note from you to Uncle Scrooge, saying you picked us up early this morning." Huey revealed.

"You what?! That's even worse!" Donald fumed. "How did you even get all the way out here anyway?"

"Elliott the dragon." Donald Jr. answered meekly.

"Yeah, helping young boys in need is kind of his thing." Huey jested. Donald's face scrunched in anger. His cheeks began to turn red. The four duckling hung their heads. Donald grabbed his son's hand forcefully. "C'mon. We'll discuss this in the morning." He knew Daisy wasn't going to lecture them. Instead she would reward them with hugs and kisses. The Ducks and Pluto were on their way, following their tracks back to their starting place, when their friends met them half way. Mickey ran ahead of the rest.

"Donald!" The mouse hollered. Donald could hear the fright in Mickey's voice.

"What? What is it?" Donald replied.

"Are the girls with you? Tell me you've seen Minnie, Daisy, and Martha." Mickey pleaded.

"N-no, I haven't." Donald answered honestly. "Why? What happened?"

"They disappeared!" Peter's voice sounded. He rushed to Mickey's side, along with Br'er Rabbit and Goofy, who carried Timothy. No one else followed.

"Hey! What are you two doing here?" Huey quacked, pointing to Peter and Timothy.

"I thought this was an adventure for adults." Dewey pointed out.

"Uncle Donald, were you lying to us?" Louie pestered.

"That's enough, boys!" Donald snapped. "What happened?"

"We had our eyes in the sky for half a minute, and they just vanished! Not a sight, not a peep." Goofy exclaimed. The situation raced around in Donald's mind a while before he could figure out what to do.

"You!" Donald pointed to Br'er Rabbit.

"Me?" Br'er Rabbit echoed.

"Walt told you what's going on here. Where did the girls go?" Donald interrogated.

"Now, hold on. I don' know where dey is. I done my part. I done wit' dat snow globe. I done wit' my clue. I's sorry, but I can't help y'all no mo'." Br'er Rabbit admitted.

"The snow globe is our only hope then." Mickey said, taking the snow globe out of Minnie's handbag. Donald's bill parted to say something. "She dropped it before they vanished." Mickey clarified.

"So... whoever took the girls, _wasn't_ after the snow globe?" Donald figured.

"I don't know. Let's hope this helps." Instead of entering in a new code, Mickey applied his thumb to the top of the globe while the code for the previous clue was still in place. While most of the remaining toons waited anxiously for the current code, the ducklings' jaws dropped in amazement. A strange sort of peaceful feeling came over them. Walt spoke amusingly about getting the best of Br'er Fox, and the ducklings had just witnessed Donald do so. They knew not the significance of the snow globe or where it came from, but for a split second they felt a bit closer to Walt. Even Donald Jr. who was animated in 1959, identified Walt's voice and recalled many fond memories with him.

"The next code is 061128." Walt finished. Then came the real showstopper. Huey, Louie, Dewey, and Donald Jr. voiced their shock and wonder as the classic cartoon snapshot projected in the blizzard. When the image broke apart into the raging storm, the boys all smiled.

"Is it like a bucket list?" Louie guessed. Mickey almost laughed.

"No, it's full of clues and magic that leads to a treasure. Walt wanted he and I to find it together. But... now it's up to all of us." Mickey summarized. The boys nodded solemnly.

"Boys?" Mickey addressed. "This adventure has been tough even for us adults. It's very serious and dangerous. You can't back down once you're involved. If you want there still might be time for you to go back to your Uncle Scrooge."

"No. We wanna help." Huey proclaimed. His brothers agreed.

"I wanna save Mom." Donald Jr. spoke for himself. Donald silently gave his permission, though he knew he would regret it.

"Okay." Mickey acknowledged. He flipped the snow globe over, keying in the newest code.

"To save Minnie and Daisy, think of the most predictable villain who could have taken them. Someone who's sole purpose once was to steal Minnie. Though the answer may seem obvious, don't expect to find the girls right away. Mickey, Donald, I know you worry for them. But right now you two need to keep your ears open for hints about the treasure. It is still your main objective. The next code is 052828."

They snow globe imagery returned to black shapes and lines. This time the snow globe captured an image from Mickey's 1933 cartoon, Building a Building. Pictured in black and white was Mickey sitting on a beam, eating lunch, and Minnie being whisked away on a hook behind his back. Mickey recalled that cartoon well. In hindsight he wished he'd seen this coming earlier. It was so obvious. Who else would Walt assign as Mickey's adversary on this adventure? Who else, but the big cat who started it all?

 _Pete._


	12. Oh What an Olden Day

The trip from Chickapin Hill to Pete's house in Mouseton, Toontown cost Mickey only one portable hole. He couldn't waste time on calling a cab, or hailing another flying friend as the kids had done. At sunrise, Mickey's yellow shoes hit the snowplowed road in front of Pete's house. Donald, Goofy, Peter, Timothy, Huey, Louie, Dewey, and Donald Jr. followed. They had hardly spared a moment to say goodbye to Br'er Rabbit. Now nothing could distract Mickey from rescuing the girls. With Donald at his side equally determined and the snow globe tucked under his arm, Mickey marched up to Pete's front door.

"Uh, Mickey? Donald?" A voice called behind them. The mouse and duck looked back to see their kin leaning on Goofy and Pluto. Louie and Huey tried to keep their eyes open. The others were zonked out cold. Mickey let himself relax a little. He and Donald came back to the group.

"Goofy, why don't you take the kids over to your house to rest?" Mickey suggested.

"Gee, ya think it's safe to split up from the snow globe that long? We could get kidnapped too." Goofy worried.

"Goofy, _Pete_ kidnapped Minnie, Martha, and Daisy. He can't kidnap anyone while Donald and I got our eyes on him. Besides, you live right next door. This won't take long." Mickey explained, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at Goofy's house.

"Oh, h'yuck. Right." Goofy chuckled. Pluto licked the kids awake so they could walk to Goofy's house before they crashed again. Timothy of course stayed on Goofy's shoulders undisturbed. Mickey and Donald tried their confrontation with Pete again. They marched up to the house and pounded their fists on the door as hard as they could (for a mouse and a small duck). Waiting was the hardest part. Mickey's anger boiled inside him. He didn't care if Walt told Pete to do it. He wanted his wife and daughter safe from harm that instant. The door slammed open, revealing an overweight black cat in a blue striped night robe.

"Yeah, what is it?! Whaddya want?!" Pete spat. He blinked twice in surprise at the sight of Mickey and Donald at his doorstep. The toons looked terrible. Both had bags under their eyes, and Donald's head feathers stuck out in odd directions.

"Where are they?" Mickey demanded.

"Who's 'they'?" Pete sneered.

"Minnie, Martha, and Daisy! Where are they?" Mickey tried again.

"We know you kidnapped them!" Donald cut in.

"Listen Donner and Squeaken. I haven't seen Minnie or any other goody-two-shoes in question since the Christmas Party on the fifth! So what ever 1930's damsel in distress scenario you dreamed up last night, kindly leave me out of it!" Pete roared.

"I haven't slept all night." Mickey remarked. "And I don't have time for this. Now where... are... they?!"

"I told you, pea-brain! I had nothin' to do with it. Now get lost!" Pete dismissed. Before he could slam the door in their faces, Mickey held up the snow globe with one hand.

"Wait." Mickey persisted, looking up at Pete through the glass globe. "Are you sure you don't know where they are?" Pete did not look amused. Tired of talking in circles, Pete grabbed Mickey and Donald by the napes of the their necks, swung them over his head like a lasso, and sent them flying. The duo screamed in terror as they came in for a hard landing on Goofy's roof. Donald flapped his wings, getting just enough flight control to steer them out of harm's way. The toons tumbled down the chimney, bringing a puff of soot with them. Donald being the 'lucky' one, broke Mickey's fall at the bottom.

"Ruff-ruff-ruff-ruff!" Pluto alerted. On the couch, the sleeping guests woke up.

"What is it, Pluto?" Timothy inquired. The hound dove into the chimney, and pulled out Mickey who was almost completely black with soot.

"Shake his hand, Pluto. It's good luck." Peter joked. Next came Donald, dusting the soot off his white feathers.

"Gawrsh, you two. You could have used the front door." Goofy gasped, coming in the room with mugs of hot chocolate.

"We wanted to, but Pete thought the chimney was quicker." Donald grumbled. Mickey pulled a rag from his hammerspace, and wiped his face, then the snow globe.

"Pete didn't kidnap them." Mickey sighed.

"My back agrees with you." Donald quacked, popping his spine.

"Pete didn't do it?" Goofy repeated.

"Yeah. I can't wait to see what significance that clue will have later." Mickey moped. He analyzed himself, Donald, and Goofy. The three of them did look exhausted and filthy. "We should get cleaned up before we use another code." Mickey advised. So after three showers, two baths, a balanced breakfast, more detailed exclamations of the snow globe to the ducklings, several apologetic phone calls cancelling Peter, Martha, and Timothy's celebration, and one stern phone call to McDuck Manor explaining Donald Jr., Huey, Louie, and Dewey's situation, time had ticked away to 9:40am. Mickey finally summoned the group back to the living room to hear the next clue. Donald taught the boys to sit in a circle around the snow globe, since they had done that from the beginning. Earlier Mickey had keyed in the code Walt had given them after hinting towards Pete. This way Mickey didn't forget the code by the time they figured out the clue. Just has he planned, the combination zero, five, two, eight, two, eight, had not adjusted or fallen out of place. Mickey pressed his thumb to the glass. An instant snow storm burst from the Mickey figurine and swallowed it up in white. Walt's recording began.

"Don't go into town. Swim across the water, through the tunnel, and into the dungeon. Take the spiral stairs up to her chambers. Minnie will be at the balcony overlooking the courtyard, not in the dungeons. Before you leave, everyone must ask the slave one question each."

Out of the fast moving snowflakes came literal bricks shaded in grey and black. The bricks built up a tower which Minnie looked out of. She wore a ball gown and a tantour. Her outstretched arm held a flower. Mickey recalled the image from his 1933 cartoon, Ye Olden Days. The moment was bittersweet for Mickey. On one hand the clue reminded him how much he missed Minnie. On the other hand he felt like he was finally diving into the adventure Walt wanted for him. This riddle sounded like something Walt would tell him to figure out. With all the clues before, Mickey felt like Alice in Wonderland; being told to go there, say this here, don't ask questions there, get off track here. Maybe it was the independence that lifted Mickey's spirit. This time as far as he could see, there was no one like Tinkerbell or Br'er Rabbit shoving him in the right direction. It was all up to Mickey to solve the riddle and save his family. Now about that riddle...

"Did he say 'slave'?" Peter questioned.

"Like Baby Rabbit?" Timothy whimpered. 'Oh, brother. Not that again.' Mickey thought.

"Let's just start at the beginning." Mickey decided. He stood up to pace whilst he brainstormed. "Okay, don't go into town, swim across the water, through the tunnel..." Mickey listed. "What's he describing?" The mouse asked the toons.

"And into the dungeon." Donald finished. "It's the way into a castle... a castle with a moat around it." He imagined.

"Good. Then what?" Mickey encouraged.

"The spiral stairs up to her chambers." Peter pondered. "We have to go in a girl's room?" He blurted seconds later.

"A _princess'_ room." Huey emphasized.

"That could be Aurora, Cinderella, or Snow White." Louie deduced.

"Snow White." Mickey considered. The mouse stopped pacing. Memories of the production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs came flooding back to him. Mickey practically memorized every detail of the movie. Suddenly Mickey returned from his memories with the missing puzzle piece. "That's it." He announced.

"It's Snow White?" Dewey guessed.

"No, it's the Evil Queen. Queen Grimhilde." Mickey corrected. "The girls are trapped in Queen Grimhilde's castle."

"Ruff." Pluto voiced his agreement.

"Huh?" Goofy asked.

"The dungeon, the spiral staircase, the courtyard and balcony. It's all in Queen Grimhilde's castle." Mickey explained.

"Then the slave must be..." Donald began.

"The slave in the mirror!" Donald and Mickey finished together.

"Gawrsh, I wish I was as smart as you two." Goofy mumbled.

"So we all get to ask the Magic Mirror a question?" Donald Jr. implored.

"That's right." Donald confirmed.

"Speaking of questions, here's a good one." Peter offered. "What's the next code?" The toons were silenced. He was right. Walt hadn't mentioned another code.

"Maybe there are no more codes." Dewey thought out loud.

"Maybe we're supposed to ask the Magic Mirror to give us the treasure." Louie hoped.

"No, Walt wouldn't do that." Mickey disagreed. He picked up the snow globe and looked at the nineteen dark train windows. "There's a lot of work to do."

"Then let's get going. C'mon. The girls have waited on us long enough." Donald motivated. Mickey threw a portable hole at the floor, and the ten toons all dived in. Inside the void of the portable hole, Mickey summoned his sorcerer's apprentice robe. He braced himself for the painfully cold water. Suddenly the mouse plunged in. The icy water hit him all at once. His limbs froze up and his mind went completely blank. Then a spark of willpower ignited in him. He blew out all of his reserved air through his nose, and thought, no... believed in a hot place. When he surfaced, he heard his friends and sons splashdown. He wiped the water out of his eyes and was glad that the winter air made him want to retreat into the water again. Magic never let him down. Nine toons emerged, all surprised to find the water was steaming.

"It's like hot tub water." Timothy marveled.

"Good idea, Mickey." Donald praised. Mickey exhaled deeply. A steam cloud rose and shrouded the castle and the entire cliff side.

"That should keep us hidden, incase the queen is home." Mickey noted. The ten toons paddled to the mighty cliff side, including Timothy. One peculiar thing about him, he was a decent swimmer despite his limp. They located a cave beneath the castle which the water flowed into, and swam inside till their feet dragged bottom.

"Look, the dungeon." Huey pointed. The toons waded up to the stone steps.

"The queen's boat is gone." Donald observed.

"That could be a good sign." Mickey commented. Timothy grimaced at the skeletons lying about; some in cells, some not. "Don't worry. They can't hurt you." Mickey comforted, helping Timothy up on the stone steps. "Okay fellas, up the spiral staircase."

"But those stairs don't spiral." Dewey noticed.

"The next stairs do." Mickey informed, leading the way out of the lower dungeon. The stairs almost went through the ceiling. They stopped a few feet below a trap door. It was an easy step up, for a human sized toon. "Goofy, give us a boost up." Mickey said. Goofy pushed the trap door open and one by one, the shorter toons crawled up Goofy's back into the queen's laboratory. The room was crammed with potions, jars, and lit candles. Mickey began to doubt the queen was absent from her castle after all. "Don't touch anything." He warned the young boys. Next the mouse pushed open a heavy rounded door. It opened to another dungeon with skeletons laying in coffins and hanging in chains. Directly across from their entrance was the winding staircase. The toons raced across the dungeon and up the spiraled stairs. 'We're halfway there.' Mickey thought. At the top of the stairs the toons found yet another door. Mickey opened it just a crack. From what he could see there was a golden room on the other side. The most colorful and expensive tapestries hung from the wall. Mickey peaked his head out a bit farther, followed by Donald who looked over his head, and Goofy who looked over Donald's.

"Do ya see the queen anywheres?" Goofy whispered. Donald shushed him. Mickey tiptoed out into the royal bedroom. To his right was the queen's satin covered bed. On the wall in front of him hung dark red curtains. Mickey had to wonder. He approached the curtains and pulled them apart. He gazed upon the courtyard. Yes, he was right. There was the wishing well and Snow White's balcony. Mickey waved the others over to the window.

"They're right over there." Mickey sighed in relief.

"Great, let's find them and get out of this creepy castle." Donald shivered.

"Hey, Dad. I think I found the Mirror." Peter announced from the far corner of the room. The young mouse lifted away a blue tapestry which secluded a secret pillared room. Mickey investigated the grand off white room. He immediately recognized the blue curtains with the gold stars. Mickey knew well what laid beyond those curtains. He patted Peter's shoulders and brought him back to the bedroom.

"That's the Mirror alright." Mickey announced. "Now we need to decide what to ask it."

"What's the next code?" Peter put in.

"Why did the queen kidnap Minnie, Daisy, and Martha?" Goofy suggested.

"Why are monsters chasing us?" Donald proposed.

"What are we getting for Christmas?" Huey voted. The previous speakers glared at him. "Well I don't know what else to ask."

"Does anyone else have any questions crucial to finding the treasure?" Mickey implored.

"I have a question." Timothy squeaked, pulling on Mickey's sleeve. "But I wanna keep it a secret." The youngest mouse whispered. Mickey nodded.

"Alright. Donald, Huey, Louie, Pluto, and Donald Jr., you'll find the girls. The rest of us will stay here, and ask the questions." Mickey planned. Everyone agreed. Team B made their way to the courtyard whilst Team A pulled back the starred curtains in the Magic Mirror chamber. The Mirror hung on the wall under an arch of astronomical symbols. Mickey, being the leader and most magical of the toons present, spoke to his reflection first. "Slave in the magic mirror, come from the farthest space, through wind and darkness I summon thee. Speak! Let me see thy face." The mouse chanted. The green disembodied face of the Mirror flashed into view out of crackling flames.

"What wouldst thou know, sorcerer's apprentice?" The Mirror monotoned. Mickey magically pulled the snow globe from his robe sleeve. He handed it to Peter, and stepped back. Peter hesitated at first, staring at the Mirror's dark and grim expression. He cleared his throat.

"Magic Mirror, awoken from slumber, tell us the snow globe's missing number." Peter spoke in rhyme.

"The missing code of a forgotten date. The numbers you seek are zero, five, one, four, two, eight." The Mirror answered. Mickey immediately keyed in the code at the bottom of the snow globe. Scrolling through the numbers, Mickey found a constant pattern. Two discs never moved. Two digits never changed. 'Two eight.' Mickey thought. 'A forgotten date? Two eight, two eight. 1928!' He discovered. This raised so many more questions. However the answers to those questions the gang would have to find out on their own. Peter stepped aside for Dewey.

"Magic Mirror, in the queen's lair, why hast the queen captured three maidens fair?" Dewey beseeched.

"Thou art the puppets, but the queen not the puppeteer. T'was another who stole and stowed them away here." The Mirror riddled. Dewey moved alongside Peter.

"That was poetry." Peter complimented.

"Thanks. I tried." Dewey said.

"Magic Mirror, uh... with knowledge not lacking, what are the creatures who keep on attacking?" Goofy improvised.

"Ministers of evil dwelling in a fiery fountain, sent after the snow globe by their master on Bald Mountain." The Mirror droned. Even Goofy understood what that meant. Now it was time for Timothy's secret question. The smallest mouse limped up to the Mirror, front and center.

"Mirror, Mirror on the wall, without crutch or pixie dust will I always fall?" Timothy asked sincerely. Mickey's heart skipped a beat. He prayed the Mirror wouldn't tell him truth, even though that was impossible.

"A creator's hand designed this outcome. Let yourself decide what you can become. May strength grow in body but mostly in heart, and you will be much stronger than you were at the start." The Mirror counseled. Mickey was glad that answer was enough for Timothy.

"Dad, don't you have a question?" Timothy asked. Mickey nodded.

"Kids, follow Goofy and go find the others. I'll catch up later." The Mouse insisted. Goofy paused, but didn't argue. Mickey waited until Goofy and the children left the room and walked down the hall a ways. Then the sorcerer's apprentice was all alone with the Magic Mirror. "Magic Mirror, powerful beyond measure, what can be said of Walt's lost treasure?"

"In dark shadows the treasure lies broken, damaged inside from times unspoken. The destruction of the treasure is nigh. Grant Walt's wishes Mickey, or the treasure shall..." The haunting voice cut out.

"Shall what? Shall what?" Mickey cried. The green face faded away, the dark backdrop lifted, and Mickey was left staring at his reflection again. "No. Come back!" Mickey exclaimed, pressing his hands to the seemingly ordinary mirror.


	13. Hungry Mouse Takes a Trip

Mickey stepped back from the Mirror. It was no use. The Magic Mirror was far wiser than Mickey, and knew enough had been said. The mouse walked out of the Magic Mirror Chamber, forgetting to put the blue curtains back as they were. He stowed the snow globe in his hammerspace. Mickey turned to look out the window at the courtyard again. His heart sang at the sight of Minnie, safe from harm. At her side Pluto happily barked and ran circles around Martha. Mickey was delighted to see Daisy reunited with Donald and the boys as well. Without realizing it, Mickey willed himself to teleport down to his friends and children. He ran to his beloved and embraced her. Then the mouse let his red robe evaporate before his emotions caused any more magical surprises.

"Are you okay?" Mickey asked urgently.

"Yes, we're all fine." Minnie assured. "But we didn't see who took us."

"I don't care as long as you're both safe." Mickey proclaimed, taking Martha in his arms and kissing her forehead.

"Did you even hear a voice?" Donald questioned Daisy and Minnie.

"No, we were asleep the whole time." Daisy replied.

"But we didn't eat any apples." Martha added. Mickey patted her shoulder.

"Well, if everyone's safe and sound, we should probably see what Walt wants us to do next." Mickey suggested, pulling the snow globe from his hammerspace. Minnie looked surprised.

"Oh, thank goodness you still have the snow globe! I was sure it was stolen when I woke up without it." She rejoiced.

"It's how we found you three." Donald commented. Mickey nodded, pressing his thumb to the globe's top. The fake snow swirled around until it made its violent storm of ice crystals cutting through the wind and nipping at each other. This time Mickey heard Walt noticeably cough before speaking.

"Good job, Mickey. That one took some wit, didn't it? Take a train into Central Toontown. I'm sure you and your friends have a lot to talk about on the way. The code is 043028 when you get there."

A portion of the snow glittered deep blue, then spread further right and blurred into different colors; light purple, red, peach, a touch of green, white, and black. Mickey felt a little anxious looking at this one. Inside the globe projected an image appropriately from Mickey's 1940 cartoon, Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip. The image showed none other than Pete in a conductor's uniform staring Mickey down, giving him the evil eye.

"Boy, I hope we don't have to run into him again." Mickey mumbled, as the snow globe's magic subsided.

"Take a train? That's it?" Donald quacked.

"Maybe an easy clue and some down time is just what we need after all this excitement." Mickey pondered. He then gave the snow globe back to Minnie. Martha nudged Minnie to get her attention. Minnie looked down. Her daughter mouthed the words 'Do you hear that?'. Minnie didn't know how to respond. First off, she didn't hear anything unusual and second, Martha's expression had her at a loss for words. Her eyes seemed desperate and even a little angry. It was quite a contrast from the happiness she expressed a second ago.

"Now all we need is a train to Central Too..." Goofy started.

"Aaarroooooo! Aaar-aarroooooo!" Pluto howled. The gang had just taken notice of Pluto wandering off to the edge of the courtyard. He stood with his front paws atop a stone wall looking over the small village below the castle. "Aaarooo-woo-wooooo!" The dog bayed. The gang rushed to Pluto's wall. Mickey tried to yank Pluto back down to all fours and clamp the dog's mouth shut. But Pluto wouldn't budge.

"Pluto, what's gotten into you? The queen could hear you. Pluto!" Mickey reprimanded. Suddenly Pluto went rigidly still. Mickey waited for an explanation. Slowly, Pluto raised one 7 shaped ear in the air. Mickey and the gang listened as well. At first Mickey didn't believe his ears. A sound so foreign to a medieval setting flew on the wind. The mouse looked back to his company for confirmation. Most of them looked to him for the same reason. Martha however folded her arms, pouted, and didn't look at anyone. Pluto began to howl again, this time clearly in sync with the train whistle in the distance.

The gang immediately took off for the village, racing at toon speed. They skipped down the grand stone stairs that climbed the cliffs to the castle. Racing through the streets, only stopping to listen for the whistle, the gang attracted a lot of attention from the townsfolk. Most of which were villains. Soon one of the townsfolk was tailing them. Mickey looked over his shoulder to see a plump nosed blond witch matching the mouse's speed on her broomstick.

"Witch Hazel!" Huey, Louie, and Dewey recognized.

"Long time no see, me pretties." The witch giggled. She swerved in front of Mickey and spun the broom around so she was flying backwards. "What's the rush, dear?" Mickey slowed to a halt.

"We're looking for a train." Mickey said.

"So you're the pranksters who landed that theme park contraption on the sheriff's house. Well done! Good for you! It's about time that grouchy miser got what was coming to him." Witch Hazel cheered.

"Can you show us the way?" Huey questioned.

"I can do better than that." The hag smirked. With a snap of her fingers, the train appeared in mid air, and clanked as it ungracefully dropped. Mickey smiled at the familiar train.

"Gee, Thanks a lot Hazel." Mickey beamed.

"Think nothing of it, dear. Ta-ta." With that, the witch soared away.

"She was right. It _does_ look like a theme park ride. Or a huge toy." Donald critiqued. The train under Donald's scrutiny was a purple single cart train, with wide yellow swirled extensions around the frame. The windows were shaped like stars, and a sorcerer's hat perched over the top of the chimney.

"It's Master Yen Sid's train. I've used it from time to time going to and from his realm." Mickey explained, walking towards the purple train. The train opened its doors and unfolded three steps for Mickey. The mouse climbed aboard. He looked back at the others who hadn't moved. "What? It's a _magic_ train." Mickey exclaimed. Donald and Goofy shrugged, figuring that was the only answer they would hear. How did the train find Mickey in Queen Grimhilde's kingdom? Magic. How would the train move without tracks? Magic. Who was driving the train? Magic-magic-magic! The gang, reunited and grown to thirteen toons, boarded the sorcerer's train.

"Wow." Minnie said in awe of the royal purple walls and orange carpet. Mickey sat on the right side bench under the third star window; his usual seat on the magic train. Minnie sat beside him. Peter sat under the fourth window to Mickey's right. Pluto laid at Mickey's feet. Timothy invited himself upon Mickey's lap. Across from the Mouse family, Goofy, Donald, Donald Jr., Daisy, Louie, Huey, and Dewey took their seats in that order. Meanwhile, Martha stood alone at the front of the train; her forehead pressed against the wall, arms folded, and nose pointed to the carpet.

"Martha, what's wrong?" Mickey asked.

"Stomach hurts." Martha muttered, without looking up. Mickey had a feeling that wasn't the case. Ordinarily Martha would have told her mother the moment she was feeling sick. Not bottle it up and isolate herself.

"Maybe you need to lay down, sweetie?" Daisy recommended.

"I'm fine." Martha murmured with disrespect. Minnie prepared to say something, but Mickey squeezed her hand. A silent cue to leave her be. The whistle blasted and the train jerked forward. Outside the windows, the medieval town blurred passed and transformed into a strange new setting. The atmosphere was dark indigo. Distant stars and planets bobbed up and down. Auroras swam beside the train. Fireworks splashed up from the liquefied ground. It was as if outer space was under water. All of these figures and colors blooming together one would think it would be loud and chaotic. But it wasn't. The only thing making a sound was the train. Everything else was silent, slow, and peaceful. Despite all the different effects happening at once, not one thing disturbed another thing. Mickey gave the new riders time to take in the magical sights. One passenger unnoticed by Mickey, pulled her ears downward. She couldn't bare the noise!

"Well everybody." Mickey addressed. "We learned a lot about the snow globe in this last clue. Walt wants us to have our facts straight, so that's what we'll do. I'll start. I have a theory about the codes. Daisy, can you write down all of the codes thus far?"

"Sure, Mickey. But what's the theory?" Daisy questioned whilst jotting the numbers down on a notepad.

"The codes are dates." Mickey revealed.

"Dates?" Donald quacked.

"It makes sense. They all have six digits." Daisy analyzed. "August 20th, 1928. July 23rd, 1928. July 9th, 1928. June 25th, 1928." She read off.

"How did you figure that out, Mickey?" Minnie asked.

"The clue to find you, Daisy, and Martha. It ended without the next code. We asked the Magic Mirror, and it said 'The missing code of a forgotten date. The numbers you seek are zero, five, one, four, two, eight.'" Mickey answered.

"June 14th, 1928." Daisy transliterated.

"They're going backwards." Timothy pointed out.

"Yeah, and the latest one is in August." Daisy frowned. "Which means there's no use asking you two what these dates mean." She referred to Mickey and Minnie.

"It's over our heads." Mickey agreed.

"What else did the Magic Mirror say?" Minnie inquired.

"It told me the queen wasn't the kidnapper." Dewey piped in.

"Hmm. We don't have any other suspects." Donald pondered.

"H'yuck. Yeah we do." Goofy remembered. "The creatures were sent by their master on Bald Mountain."

"Chernabog?!" Donald screamed, nearly jumping into Daisy's lap. "You mean _Chernabog_ is trying to kill us?!"

"Donald, calm down. We'll be alright." Mickey soothed.

"So that means 'yes'." Donald fretted.

"Dad, what about _your_ question to the Mirror? What did you ask it?" Peter inquired, changing the subject.

"Well I asked the Mirror what could be said about the treasure. I didn't ask where it was, because like I said before, Walt wouldn't want me taking the easy way out." Mickey elaborated.

"C'mon, Dad. What did it say?" Peter impatiently badgered. Mickey's head bowed. His face grimaced at the memory. He couldn't shake the haunting feeling from the Mirror's warning.

"In dark shadows the treasure lies broken... damaged inside from times unspoken. The destruction of the treasure is nigh. Grant Walt's wishes, or the treasure shall..." Mickey gloomed.

"Shall what?" Timothy asked.

"I don't know. That's the end of the riddle." Mickey sighed.

"That can't be the end. It doesn't rhyme." Timothy objected.

"Maybe it _is_ the end." Peter hypothesized. His eyes held a glint of discovery. "Think about it. Grant Walt's wishes or the _treasure_ shall. Or the treasure shall grant the wishes."

"That's really good, Peter." Mickey praised.

"But it's nonsense." Huey interjected.

"Huey!" Donald scolded.

"I'm just saying, Walt's wish is for Mickey to find the treasure. So how does a treasure compete with us to find itself?" Huey grilled. Peter shifted himself away from the group.

"It was just an idea." He mumbled. Mickey put a hand on Peter's shoulder.

"It was a good idea." Mickey comforted. "And there's many things about the treasure we still don't understand. You could be right." Peter gave a weak smile and nodded. Suddenly an anguished cry sounded from the front of the train. Martha collapsed to the floor, clutching her head. Mickey passed Timothy to Minnie and leaped from the bench to aid Martha, when the train gave a huge jolt. Mickey fell face first on the carpet. The magical lights outside the train disappeared in grey thunderclouds. Wind turbulence knocked the train from its invisible tracks, and the train began to spiral out of control. The toons clung to the cushioned benches, pentagon windowsills, and each other. The train was absent of any safety handles. Mickey tried to army crawl to Martha, but the train took a nosedive as if driving off a cliff. The mouse hurtled to the front of the train, landing his back and legs to the wall and his neck and head pressed into the floor. He rolled over to Martha, who huddled on the ninety degree flipped wall sobbing. Mickey grabbed her protectively. Above the eight toons screaming their heads off, Mickey could hear Martha's cry loud and clear.

"Let me off this train!"

Suddenly gravity took a different direction. The train barrel rolled across new apparent land, and crashed through a portal of white light. The brightness that filled the train blinded Mickey. He shut his eyes, only to open them a second later when he heard the train's whistle. The train's rhythmic chugging brought him back to reality. He sat on the train bench under the third star window with Martha in his arms. Everyone else sat where they were before, as if nothing had happened. However, the toons' shocked faces told Mickey their wild train ride was real.

"That's never happened before." Mickey breathed. The train made a steady halt. As soon as the train's sliding doors opened, Martha bolted from the train. "Martha!" Mickey called after her. He too leapt from the train. Again blinding white light pierced Mickey's eyes. He realized the train was surrounded by a snowy field. Around him, toon children sledded down hills and frolicked with Christmas themed toons. Then Mickey's eye caught Martha's footprints. He dashed after her and continually called her back. But Martha kept running. Unbeknownst to the distraught girl, a horse drawn carriage was barreling down a paved path ahead. If she didn't slow down soon, she would surely meet the underside of the horse's hooves. "Martha!" Mickey hollered. The carriage driver yanked the horse's reins back. It was close, but luckily the horse reared back just before Martha crossed the pavement. Martha looked up in fright at the giant grey steed, who uttered a loud and prolonged whinny.

"Oh, dear. You poor thing." The passenger's voice cried. In a flash, someone picked Martha up. Martha's tear-filled eyes stared at her rescuer for a second before sobbing into their shoulder. Mickey panted as he approached the scene. He looked almost as scared as Martha at first. But then he came to his senses, and recognized the couple.

"Boy, am I glad you two are here." Mickey smiled.


	14. Dognapper Mounted

"Horace! Clarabelle!" Minnie exclaimed, running to Mickey's side. Mickey looked over his shoulder. The train had vanished, and the rest of the gang was coming to Martha's aid. Clarabelle put Martha down, and Minnie immediately dragged Martha to stand front and center before her parents. "Martha, what were you thinking, running off like that? You're lucky Horace stopped the carriage in time or you could have been hurt!" Minnie ranted. "Despite what happened on the train, you should have stayed with us. That's the safest place you could be."

"Will you just listen to me for one minute?!" Martha shouted, tears still pouring from her eyes. "Listen." She emphasized. "No one is listening." Mickey and Minnie waited for an exclamation. "Ever since that snow globe showed up, I keep hearing things no one else can hear! And the sounds always come like a warning, just before something everyone else can hear happens. In the middle of the night I heard a sound I can't explain, which lead me to hear Grandpa Walt's voice. Since then I heard the monsters coming at Disneyland, I heard Tinkerbell before anyone else, and I heard something odd just before the three of us were kidnapped. But the train was worst of all! The sound was killing me! All those things outside the windows were trying to crush me! And I couldn't tell anyone because Peter makes fun of me and everyone else just looks at me like I'm crazy! Well I'm not crazy! It's the snow globe that's driving me insane, and I can't take it anymore!" Martha exploded. Minnie secretively passed the snow globe to Mickey from behind her back. She then coxed Martha away from the gathering crowd.

"We won't go far." Minnie assured Mickey. The mother and daughter wandered off into the snow covered meadow.

"Golly, what was that about?" Horace asked, hardly catching a word.

"Family matters." Mickey mumbled.

"We heard the celebration was off. Is that what the matter is?" Clarabelle interviewed. Mickey shook his head and slipped the snow globe into his hammerspace.

"It's more complicated than that. Thanks again you two, for looking out for Martha. We should probably be going now; make sure she's alright." Mickey prattled distractedly. He turned around to follow Minnie, and the rest of the gang came close behind.

"Wait, is there anything we can do to help?" Horace called.

"Sorry, it's too personal." Peter excused, in passing. Of course that didn't shake the cow and horse's curiosity. Whatever issues the Mouse family was going through couldn't be that personal if eight others were involved. Across the winter park in front of a vacant ice pond, Mickey and the gang caught up to Minnie and Martha. Martha immediately shied away. Minnie spoke for her.

"Mickey, we can't let her stay on this treasure hunt. On top of the already present danger, I fear she's right about the snow globe. It's effecting her." Mickey looked downhearted, at a loss of what to do. On the train something caused Martha great fear and agony. He couldn't ignore that until the adventure was over. However there seemed to be no better options. Like the rest of the group, Martha had to help protect the snow globe or surely be hexed and dragged off to Chernabog's unholy domain. Separation was not an option and time was not on their side. Then Mickey thought of Master Yen Sid. If anyone could heal Martha of the snow globe's spell, it was the crafter of the snow globe himself. But until Mickey found a way to reach Master Yen Sid's tower without using the train, Martha would require a substitute for the sorcerer's magic. She needed another magical item that would absorb the snow globe's excess magic without harming herself.

"Martha?" Mickey addressed. The girl stepped out from behind Minnie. "I can't thank you enough for being so brave these last two days."

"I don't wanna to be brave anymore. I wanna go home." Martha begged.

"I know. I'm so sorry we can't go home safe for a while. That's why I'm giving you something very special to protect you." Mickey soothed. The mouse opened his previously empty hands to unveil a simple looking rope. "Straight off the old red robe." Mickey commented. Martha's eyes lit up.

"You're giving me your sorcerer's robe?!" Martha gasped.

"Well no, just the rope." Mickey clarified. He tied the ends in a tiny bow and placed the rope over Martha's ears like a headband. He purposely chose not to tie it as a belt, so Martha's ears would be magically shielded. "As long as you wear this, Master Yen Sid's power will keep you safe from Chernabog and all other magic forces." Mickey vowed. "Now do you think you're brave enough to make it the rest of the way?"

"Okay." Martha responded. Mickey reassured her with a tight hug. She smiled back at him. "It's time for another clue isn't it?" Martha asked.

"If we landed in Central Toontown." Mickey answered. He looked about where they were. A nearby sign read 'Fruit Cake Lake - gets nuttier every year.' Above them a buzzard and a yellow canary fought for airspace. Surprisingly the Universal bird was taking a beating from the pint sized Warner Brothers bird. The canary zoomed around the bird of prey like a fighter jet, grabbed him by the talons, and threw him down on open air which the toon willed to be rock solid. The canary swung the buzzard over his tiny shoulders, repeatedly hitting the cement-like air until the buzzard waved a white flag over his bruised and swollen head. Thus, the canary dropped the buzzard into the snow banks below and continued on his routine flight path.

"Bad ow' buzzawd." Tweety scorned.

"I'd say we're close enough." Donald decided. Mickey summoned his magic robe minus the belt. The mouse's eight fingers curved and brought packed snow towards him. The snow piled up in four walls eight feet high, so no unworthy eyes would witness the snow globe's power. The gang and their crucial guide were secured inside the snow fort.

"Daisy?" Mickey queried.

"It's zero, four, three, zero, two, eight. Or April 30th, 1928 for that matter." Daisy remarked. Mickey keyed in the numbers, and flipped the snow globe upright. The globe filled with its glistening white storm. Another train window was given light as the message commenced.

"Look no further. You're in the right place. But it's about to become a crime scene. Call the police and do not tell them anything about the snow globe. Be strong, Mickey. You have a lot to protect. 041628 is the next code."

Black and grey blotches formed underneath the glass. Mickey had seen enough of the snow globe's pictures now, it was easy to pick out which blotches would become his ears. The predicted dark spaces formed his ears, torso, and arms held out wide. One gloved hand held a fist, and the other held an object. When each line, dot, and shade flowed into place, a toon revolver a little too big for Mickey's hand sketched itself into view. Mickey felt he might start shaking. Walt didn't expect him to hold someone at gunpoint outside of a cartoon. _He couldn't._

"You were a police officer." Timothy noted, eying the white star on Mickey's chest.

"Once on the silver screen, a long time ago." Mickey explained. 'The Dognapper, 1936.' The mouse remembered. "I have the feeling this clue will be especially dangerous." Mickey worried.

"Then we should call the police right away." Daisy urged.

"And tell them what?" Donald argued.

"Well we won't find out, hiding in here." Minnie reasoned. Mickey handed the snow globe over to Minnie.

"Let's get this over with and hope for an easy clue next time." Mickey said.

"Easy like on the train." Peter murmured. Ignoring him, Mickey raised one fist, and crushed the packed snow into powdered particles magically hovering close to where they once supported strong walls. Mickey released his fist, and the snowflakes flew away in the wind much like in the snow globe. Outside the demolished snow fort, nothing had changed. Children still played in the snow without a care. Nothing screamed 'crime scene' in sight or earshot. However, one thing stood out of place about a hundred yards away. A black cloaked figure twice Mickey's size stood alone in the field. The stranger wore white gloves and a black hood over his head. He stood at an angle, facing two o'clock where Mickey was twelve. Mickey studied the stranger's robe and wondered if he was a student or even a master of the magical arts. Perhaps this was the duel Walt had planned for him; a duel of spells instead of bullets. But Mickey knew he was mistaken when the stranger turned his head towards the mouse, showing nothing but darkness where a face should be, and drew a gun in plain sight. For a split second, Mickey heard Walt's voice. 'You have a lot to protect.'

"Run!" Mickey shouted. The sound of gunfire broke the peaceful and innocent atmosphere. Children forgot their winter festivities, and ran for their lives. Though none of the Sensational Six feared a bullet due to their advanced toon abilities, the gang bolted behind the park sign with their vulnerable kin. The sky bound shot's purpose was to get Mickey's attention, the mouse realized. With lightning speed, Mickey created a wide purple barricade of psychic energy. The stranger fired a second time. Mickey watched the scene in slow motion. The bullet shot towards him, broke through the psychic wall, flew passed Mickey's face, and detonated in the snow. Mickey stood paralyzed with his arms out to support the magic barrier, and with his eyes locked on the bullet's remains. The projectile had literally fell apart upon impact and was leaking a green liquid chemical. 'Dip!' Mickey panicked. Dip broke through his magic! The mouse looked back to the hooded stranger just before he aimed directly at Mickey's chest. This would be the deadly blow. In the seconds before impact, Mickey hunched over and pulled his arms in. The psychic wall curved around the mouse, but shielded him no more than before. The third Dip bullet cut through the magic barrier like a knife through paper, and drilled into Mickey's stomach a millisecond after. Mickey cried out from the excruciating pain. His flesh and insides burned with the agony of being pierced and torn apart. The mouse dropped to his knees and held his stomach with both arms. Then he felt the Dip release. He'd never felt anything like it. The Dip stung, burned, and picked him apart from the inside. Mickey let out an anguished tearful scream once he realized the Dip was leaking onto his hands and arms as well. Despiratly Mickey tore off his sorcerer's apprentice robe, and laid face down in the cool snow. He prayed for relief; anything to put him out of his misery quickly.

"MICKEY!" His sweetheart bawled. But he heard none of it, for Mickey was already gone...

Into sanctuary.

The sanctuary of Yen Sid's tower felt different from what Mickey had experienced in the past. Even before Mickey opened his eyes he sensed the aura of his master, and that had not happened in a long time. Not since the day Walt died had the master opened his heart so fully to his apprentice who was in dire need of love and comfort. Mickey felt those same vibes emanating from Yen Sid in the present. Furthermore, Mickey sensed something different about the room he laid in. There were very few places in the tower where Mickey did not feel a sort of pressure weighing down on him; as if Master Yen Sid were always watching him with stern eyes. In this new room Mickey felt comfortable to move, speak, and breathe without Yen Sid's permission. Mickey opened his eyes, to find himself tucked into a luxurious king size bed. Dark blue canopy curtains draped around the bed, blocking Mickey's view from the rest of the room. The apprentice realized he was in Master Yen Sid's private chambers, where Mickey was _never_ permitted to go. To Mickey's right, a curtain parted and the powerful sorcerer gazed down at his apprentice. His expression never changed, but his aura reached out to Mickey with a father's unconditional love. Mickey gave a tired smile.

"Master." Mickey greeted.

"Hello Mickey. You're faring well for someone who met a toon's inescapable doom." The sorcerer commented. Mickey sat up, suddenly recalling his last memories. He pulled back his red sleeves and examined his arms. His skin was undamaged and his gloves were in mint condition. Mickey poked around his stomach just to be sure, and discovered no soreness or scars. It was a miracle. The mouse was especially grateful now.

"Master, how'd you do it? I'm good as new!" Mickey exclaimed.

"My efforts did not heal you." Yen Sid stated. He held out a loose fist. When his fingers unfurled a golden bullet and a splash of green fluid levitated up from his palm. Mickey leaned back warily. "The Dip itself healed you, because it is not Dip at all." Yen Sid explained. "This brew of chemicals is harmless to toons, for its main ingredient is pure ink." Mickey scowled in disbelief. Yen Sid demonstrated by taking hold of Mickey's gloved hand. As the sorcerer slowly let the alleged toon acid drip down to the apprentice's hand, Mickey shut his eyes tightly. "Though contact seems to destroy..." Mickey peeked through his eyelids to see the green fluid melting his glove away. The mouse inched his hand back; not in a terrified retreat, but in a pleading nudge for Yen Sid to stop. But the sorcerer held the small hand steady. "...False Dip always restores what has been afflicted." Mickey stared in awe as the green outlined hole in his glove glowed light blue, and filled in new ink. Yen Sid let Mickey analyze his glove and see for himself it was in perfect condition. Mickey's face and posture turned to depression.

"Another torture device humans came up with for us toons, Master?" Mickey guessed. Yen Sid placed a hand on Mickey's shoulder.

"That is correct. But it is no fault of your father. I must confess I mistakenly let your adversary corrupt Walt's instructions. He did not wish this upon you, my apprentice." Yen Sid repented.

"I know he wouldn't, Master." Mickey understood. Yen Sid then took a step back and let the blue curtain fall.

"You may return to your friends when you are ready. Though I suggest you do so quickly. The sun is already high." Yen Sid advised. Mickey couldn't believe his ears. It was morning?! He lost _another_ twelve hours or so?! He had to get back to solving clues ASAP. But first...

"Master Yen Sid, wait!" Mickey called. "My daughter!"

"I am well aware of this, Mickey. She will not be distressed by the magic forces any longer. She is in good hands." Yen Sid promised. "One last thing, my apprentice." Yen Sid added. "I am proud you have come this far." Before he could contemplate any of the great sorcerer's words, Mickey was spirited away.

December 17, 1983 10:45 am.

The mouse awoke in a clean white room. Bright lights made him struggle to see the details in the blinding whiteness. As he squinted and moved his head about, trying to find something real and tangible in the strange environment, a silhouette hovered near him.

"Mickey? Can you hear me?" A voice gently asked. Mickey concentrated on the silhouette until his eyes adjusted. The one who accompanied him, _she_ saw recognition in his eyes. "Welcome back, Mickey. You worried us for a while." She beamed.

"Mom." Mickey breathed.


	15. Plowboy, Plowboy & Nifty Sadie

Mickey fought his tiredness to reach for the woman's hand. He quickly realized his limitations from exhaustion, but didn't care. Being graced with the presence of Lillian Disney, the most highly respected woman in Mickey's life, was nothing to go back to sleep over. The mouse fumbled for the right words or questions, but nothing came. Lillian took Mickey's hand. Her expression surprised Mickey. Her eyes didn't desperately search Mickey for answers like a concerned parent. She was too calm for Mickey's liking. If he hadn't just awoken from an almost coma-like state, and still had Walt's treasure on his mind, he would have suspected Lillian knew something.

"It's been too long, Mother. I've missed you." Mickey finally said. The old woman smiled.

"I missed you too, Mickey. How are you feeling?" Lillian asked.

"Dog-tired." Mickey moaned. "Where am I?"

"You're in Toontown's Central Hospital. Do you remember anything from yesterday?" Mickey pondered the question a minute. Memories of a shadowy assailant and Yen Sid's revelation of False Dip came flooding back.

"Yeah, I remember everything." Mickey confirmed. Lillian watched Mickey's eyes turn solemn.

"Don't worry, Mickey. You weren't attacked with Dip, and the doctor says you have a clean bill of health." Lillian comforted.

"I know. Master Yen Sid just told me about the False Dip." Mickey stated, still feeling weighed down by his heavy thoughts.

"So that's where you were." Lillian discovered. "The doctors wondered why you hadn't woken up sooner. I personally assumed you just needed your sleep after following your father's bread crumbs all over Toontown." Mickey's ears perked up.

"You know?" The mouse gasped.

"Minnie told me everything. Though it was no surprise. I've known of the treasure as long as Walt has." Lillian explained.

"Then... you can tell me all about the treasure." Mickey paused. "Or will you?"

"I could tell you hours worth of tales about the treasure, but then all of Walt's hard work on the snow globe past this point would be wasted, and you would be no closer to finding _where_ the treasure is. That's the one thing I don't know." Lillian confessed.

"But why didn't you tell me before? Why did you and Dad keep this big secret from me?" Mickey questioned. In his opinion, he had a darn good right to know this. Lillian admitted she knew about the treasure as long as Walt did. And in the first message which had to be dated in the mid '60's, Walt said the treasure was stolen "a long time ago". That meant that some time between 1925 and a long time before 1966, a huge chunk of Walt and Lillian's lives was intentionally hidden from Mickey. The mouse couldn't help questioning their decision.

"There were... a number of reasons why we couldn't tell you, Mickey." Lillian justified carefully. "The main one would be... the treasure's situation itself: being stolen. What happened to the treasure was cruel and unjust. It tore your father up inside to watch that awful thing happen and be powerless to stop it. The situation stayed out of his control for the rest of his life. That is why Walt didn't want you involved, Mickey. He didn't want you to dwell on what couldn't be changed, or to feel guilty." Mickey looked at her strangely.

"What do I have to feel guilty for?" He asked. The clinking sound of metal hoops sliding back on a pole alerted Mickey. A curtain pulled back, and three mouse pups poked their heads in.

"Dad! You're awake." Martha shouted. She and her brothers rushed in, and dogpiled on Mickey's hospital bed. Mickey laughed as the three settled on top of him.

"We were so worried about you." Timothy cried.

"No need to worry. I'm alright. Master Yen Sid took care of me." Mickey reassured.

"He did?" Martha queried. "Did he tell you to take the rope back? It disappeared off my head last night."

"For once, it's not just crazy talk." Peter taunted, patting Martha's head. She elbowed him in response.

"That reminds me. Master Yen Sid _did_ say you don't have to worry about hearing things anymore." Mickey informed Martha.

"Really?" Martha asked. Mickey nodded.

"I hope you kids have been on your best behavior for Grandma Lilly." Mickey winked, changing the subject. The trio nodded their heads quickly. "Hmph, good. Peter, why don't you go tell everyone I'm back in the world of animation?" Mickey suggested. Peter obeyed, and left the room. Moments later he came back with ten anthropomorphic animals, two more than Mickey expected to see. But that matter had to wait. The reunion Minnie had been longing for, for the past eighteen hours came first. Minnie practically fell on top of Mickey, kissing him passionately. At the foot of the hospital bed, Martha covered Timothy's eyes.

"Mickey Mouse, don't you ever scare me like that again!" Minnie puffed when their lips finally parted.

"I'll promise that as soon as this snow globe adventure is over." Mickey proposed. Minnie shook her head and held a weak smile. She pressed her forehead to his and closed her eyes. Mickey caressed her face in one palm. The two felt each other's breath brushing their faces. Minnie tried to slow her anxious gasps to match Mickey's calm steady breathing. Mickey sat up from the bed, kissing Minnie with even more force.

"Ah-hem!" Peter coughed. Mickey and Minnie instantly broke apart, forgetting they had an audience. "Kids in the room." Peter reminded. The room chuckled at Peter's honesty. Mickey focused on the mob of toons squeezed into the tiny room.

"Clarabelle, Horace. What are you two doing here?" The mouse asked.

"Checking up on you, of course! We've been worried sick." Clarabelle blurted. She dropped a giant 'Get Well Soon' basket in Mickey's lap.

"Aw shucks, you didn't have to do all that for me." Mickey thanked.

"But we wanted to. You're the most honest, trustworthy, practically family, open book kind of friend we know." Horace flattered. Mickey wondered about Horace's choice of words, until he noticed the center piece of his gift basket. Half buried in fruit and bordered by red balloons, the dome of the snow globe topped with its metal snowflake stood out. Mickey blushed with embarrassment. Minnie must have let them in on the secret.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry! I should have told you two from the start. Not just at the park. I mean I should have come to you the night of the fifteenth when this all started. Oh, I feel like an idiot for forgetting about you guys!" Mickey babbled. The cow and horse's stifled laughs stopped him. "You guys aren't mad?" Mickey implored.

"Well no one's ever thrilled to be not invited..." Clarabelle complained.

"But we understand." Horace interjected. "The Sensational Six were the closest to Walt the longest."

"But you two mattered to him too. It's the oldest toons that gave Walt his start." Mickey insisted. "In fact, I think he'd want ya to have a share of the treasure."

"You would do that for us?!" Clarabelle exclaimed.

"If you can help us find it." Mickey persuaded.

"You've got a deal." Horace decided. Mickey picked the snow globe out of the basket.

"Can we get another clue, Dad? We're all here." Timothy pleaded. Mickey looked to Lillian for permission. He suspected whatever Walt had to say in the coming clue would leave Lillian very emotional. The elder woman folded her arms and nodded to show she was ready.

"Yeah, Tim. It's time." Mickey answered. "What's the code, Daisy?"

"Zero, four, one, six, two, eight." Daisy quoted. Mickey keyed in the numbers. Bits of fake snow splintered into sparkling crystals, blowing in the wild storm. Walt's voice came in on cue.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for putting you in harm's way. And I say this to everyone, not just Mickey. I'm sorry if anyone was hurt. I know this adventure for you eight isn't as fun as I make it out to be. And the journey will become more and more dangerous from now on. Please, if you still have faith in me, listen to what Lillian has to say. The next code is with Cinderella. To stay in context with the illustration, she'll only give you the next code at the stables."

The perfectly white snowflakes dimmed to grey. Long thick black lines and white ovals floated towards the glass. The image inside the snow globe had everyone raising eyebrows and holding their breath. Pictured was inkblot Mickey milking a quadruped Clarabelle Cow. This came as a shock because the image was taken from Mickey's 1929 short, The Plowboy. What were the odds that the moment after Horace and Clarabelle joined the treasure hunt, Walt would show them a picture of Clarabelle from Horace's debut cartoon? Mickey looked up at his friends. Clarabelle's eyes glistened.

"'Belle, are you crying?" Horace asked with concern.

"He said eight." Clarabelle's voice shook. The kids were a little confused by this, seeing that their group now consisted of fifteen toons. But the message was crystal clear to everyone else. Six plus two is eight. Mickey felt especially at fault now. The mouse mentally kicked himself for not coming to Clarabelle and Horace's homes at the dawn of the anniversary and transporting them to Walt's apartment with the rest of his friends. Even though Walt gave no specific instruction on who to invite on the adventure beyond 'Minnie and the gang can join us if they wish.', Mickey still blamed himself for the mistake. But no one else seemed to acknowledge it as mistake. Their faces read wonderment of a miracle. The snow globe's storm settled to its normal state.

"Ah-I'm really sorry, Clarabelle." Mickey stuttered to the nearly weeping cow.

"No, no. We just went through this. I don't blame you." Clarabelle sobbed. She dabbed her eyes and loudly blew her nose with a flower printed handkerchief. Clarabelle sighed once she had composed herself.

"So... we're off to Cinderella's castle?" Dewey put in awkwardly.

"Not yet. Walt said to listen to Lillian first." Daisy corrected. All eyes turned to Mrs. Disney.

"There was one thing Walt wanted you to know by this point. The trouble you keep running into is not coincidental or crude humor. It reflects the danger and risks in the early cartoons." She clarified. Mickey thought that over. The trials the gang had to go through were all a tribute to 1920's-30's animation? It made sense. The girls getting kidnapped and Walt pointing in Pete's direction should have been a huge giveaway, Mickey realized. Then again if each clue was a reference to a black and white cartoon, why show a picture from a 1940's cartoon prior to getting on the train?

"That definitely explains a lot." Minnie commented.

"Arf!" Pluto agreed.

"Is that all?" Mickey asked.

"Well, it's like I said earlier. I could give you all of the answers, but it won't help you unless you figure it out yourself in Walt's choice time." Lillian replied. Mickey's shoulders slouched. He was really beginning to hate the game of 'I can't tell you. You'll understand soon'.

It was another half hour before Mickey was cleared to leave the hospital. Back in his own red shorts, Mickey marched out of the hospital alongside his mother with fourteen toons trailing behind them. Lillian announced she would accompany the gang to Cinderella's kingdom. Mickey was especially glad for that. Outside the hospital, Mickey threw a tall portable hole against the wall. Taking Lillian's hand, Mickey escorted her through the portable hole. When they passed through to the other side, their attire changed. Lillian wore a cerulean gown with bishop sleeves and a high snowflake patterned lace collar. A white cape hung from her shoulders down to the snow covered ground. Minnie, Martha, Daisy, and Clarabelle also wore princess gowns in their respective colors (red, pink, purple, and mint green), and winter capes in lighter tones than their dresses. Mickey and the guys were as Prince Charming to a T. Unlike the girls, the only differences between the guys outerwear was the original light gold and red color scheme vs. the blue with gold accents color scheme. Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Horace wore the first while the young boys wore the second. As for Pluto, the edges of his red color were lined in gold and dotted with diamonds.

"Oh, Mickey! You shouldn't have!" Minnie exclaimed, twirling in her new dress.

"Well we are about to meet royalty." Mickey jested.

"In the stables, Dad." Peter deadpanned. Mickey looked back to the portable hole. It stuck to the stone wall of Prince Charming's royal horse stables. A golden insignia of a four pointed crown in a loop with a knot at the base decorated the space above the doors. Unrolling the portable hole from the surface, Mickey wondered where they might find the princess. Meanwhile, Pluto began to follow his nose away from the group. The golden hound tracked the scent down the paved path until he came nose to nose with the familiar scent's source. Pluto jumped back into a bowing position with his ears perked up. He barked happily at what he'd tracked, and it barked back at him. Pluto's old pal Bruno lunged at the golden hound, playfully tugging on his ear. They broke apart and raced around the meadow. The chase ended when Bruno took the opposite turn around a tree that Pluto ran, and accidentally head-butted Pluto on the other side. The dogs literally shook it off. Then in a series of barks and woofs, Pluto asked Bruno where his master would be. He also communicated that it was urgent that their masters speak to each other. Bruno understood, and dashed off to find Cinderella.

"Plutoooo! Where are ya, boy?" Mickey hollered. Pluto immediately ran back to Mickey. The golden hound came barreling over the snowdrifts. Pluto jumped up, slamming his front paws into Mickey's shoulders, and gave his face a slobbery lick. "Pluto!" Mickey cried out in surprise. Still he laughed at Pluto's antics. "Okay, that's enough. Down boy." Pluto obeyed, sitting down in the snow. The dog smiled as he panted. Before Mickey had the chance to ask what Pluto was so happy about, another dog's barking echoed in the mouse's ears. Pluto eagerly pointed his nose in the direction from whence he came. It took a while for the average or even the toonly advanced eye to see, but over the horizon rode Princess Cinderella draped in a white fur coat, riding a white palace horse. The red blur that was Bruno, wasn't far behind. The horse galloped with speed and grace to the stables. Upon arrival, the princess steered the horse to face the stables whilst she smiled down at the royally dressed mouse to her left.

"Mickey and friends. To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" Cinderella greeted. Mickey and Pluto bowed to her.

"Your Majesty." Mickey addressed politely. The formalities weren't required in Cinderella's book. However being the gentleman that he was, Mickey never failed to honor the Disney family royal court; especially the princesses. "Walt told us you could help." Cinderella looked confused at first. But then Minnie came to Mickey's side with the snow globe in hand. A gasp of 'Oh.' barely left Cinderella's lips. Her eyes desperately looked to Lillian, who smiled and nodded. The princess speedily dismounted her horse, and lead it by the reins into the stable house.

"Come with me." She whispered to Lillian as she walked by. The gang followed Cinderella into the stable house single file. After she lead her horse into a stall, she closed the doors behind them. Mickey wondered if she intentionally left Bruno outside. The princess faced the toons plus Lillian. Her face glowed with joy. "I can't believe this day has finally come. To think you're nearly half way to the finding Walt's treasure..." Cinderella beamed.

"Yeah, sorry it took so long." Mickey apologized. "If you could help us find a code, that would be really swell."

"That's simple." Cinderella replied, walking to the thirteenth stall on the right. She knelt down, and gingerly picked up a loose square floor piece. Flipping it over, she showed everyone the engraved numbers. Mickey stepped closer to get a better look.

"Zero, four, zero, eight, two, eight." The mouse read out loud.

"But you mustn't use it here." Cinderella warned.

"We should go back to the hospital. I left my car there anyway." Lillian suggested. The gang agreed, not thinking much of it. Mickey threw another portable hole, and everyone said their goodbyes to the kind princess. But just before the gang gathered at the dark hole in the wall, Lillian pulled Mickey aside.

"Mickey, there's something I thought you ought to know about the present clue." Lillian said. "This was your father's chance to say his last words to me. I am meant to be here today, helping you find the treasure. I told him not to say goodbye, because it would be too painful to hear in the future. And I want you to know this because I can almost guarantee he will say his goodbyes to other people in later clues. I want you to know that does not mean he loved me any less. I know the man he was, and he has already proven his love for me in the life he lead. Back in 1966, I decided I wasn't going to be sad on this day." Mickey shut his eyes tightly and hung his head.

"No!" The mouse's voice broke. "He wouldn't say goodbye, because he's supposed to be right here! Not Donald's boys or my kids! Just us eight toons, you, and Walt are supposed to be standing here! This was supposed to be our last adventure together! He's supposed to be with us! Why would he say goodbye?!" Mickey hollered. Reality came crashing down on him, and worst of all Lillian knew the truth the whole time. Mickey looked to her for an answer, anything that proved his own thoughts wrong. But nothing like that came. She only knelt by Mickey's side and held him. Reality was merciless. The cold hard truth dragged Mickey deeper and deeper into an abyss. From that moment on, he refused to speak.

Back in the hospital parking lot, Mickey sat on the curb with the snow globe in hand. His friends stood close by. Lillian had attempted to comforted him all she could before finally leaving in her car. Mickey began to key in the numbers provided by Cinderella. Goofy of all toons noticed this.

"Uh, Mick? Don'tcha think you should wait till there's less toons around?" He questioned. Mickey ignored him, and pressed his thumb to the snow globe.

"Mickey." Minnie protested. The blizzard inside the snow globe raged into a fast moving whiteness. Mickey numbly watched the snow violently swirl around.

"Alright gang, I feel that now is a good time we dispersed. Mickey and I will carry out the adventure on our own for a short while. Everyone else keep the previous clues in mind until we meet again. The treasure cannot be found by two alone. By the way I wouldn't let her leave just yet, Mickey. Better get in your car. The next code is 031928"

The image formed in puffs of light brown, then brushstrokes of various other browns, black, and blue. This time Mickey and Minnie were painted into the snow globe riding in Mickey's automobile and holding hands in The Nifty Nineties, a 1941 cartoon. Mickey did not respond. His friends however were worried, even scared.

"Disperse?! He wants us to split up?" Donald quacked.

"What about Lillian? She wasn't supposed to leave." Daisy brought up.

"You think she's in danger? Or if those demons will find her?" Minnie fretted.

Mickey did not respond.


	16. Bright House

"Mickey, snap out of it! You have to do something!" Minnie demanded, pulling Mickey off the curb and to his feet. Mickey shook his head. He had to focus. Even with the feeling of a thorn stuck in his heart, he couldn't let anything bad happen to Lillian. She was family. Mickey blew a sharp whistle, calling his toon car to the scene. He jumped into the red 1930's jalopy, and swiftly shut the door.

"Stay here, where you'll be safe." He ordered Minnie. The mouse hit the gas before waiting for a rebuttal. Racing out into the busy streets of Toontown, Mickey weaved through the mad traffic with reckless speed. It took years of living in Toontown to master the skill of driving through downtown and keeping one's vehicle in one piece. Toon cars, trucks, carriages, wagons, and jaywalkers moved around Mickey without direction or predictability. But Mickey didn't pay any attention to them. For if he slowed down or became distracted by someone else's car troubles, he would surely find himself in a wreck. No, Mickey only had his eyes on a toon stretch limo two intersections away. Naturally this was Lillian's Toontown car, since no human in their right mind would drive a normal car in Toontown. That was just asking for a tow.

Mickey cut through a red light. He leaned to his left, making his car drive on it's left wheels. The maneuver saved his left door from meeting Cruella De Vil's car's grill. Falling back on all four wheels, he found himself trapped behind Robin Hood and Maid Marian's Cinderella inspired carriage. Mickey frantically searched for an opening, when he noticed a black van tailing the white limo. Then for a fraction of a second, Chernabog's face flashed on the black van's door. Mickey gasped with surprise. 'The masked figure from Fruitcake Lake, no doubt.' He figured. Mickey pressed a red button at the center of the steering wheel. It was time to take a new route. The jalopy's doors swung out and transformed into airplane wings. Mickey's car launched over the carriage. Even without a road to accelerate on, the car/plane still functioned like a car. Mickey steered directly over the black van, and hit another button. This time the mouse caused a giant horseshoe magnet to come out of a compartment under his car, pick up the black van like a claw machine, and drop it on a fire hydrant. With the occupants of the van subdued atop the fire hydrant's bursting fountain, Mickey hit the ejector seat button, and flew high into the open air. He summersaulted into a ball at his highest point, then dropped approximately twenty feet down through the white limo's open sunroof. During the decent, Mickey's body prepared to rubberize. Thus when he landed on the limo seats, he bounced up to the ceiling and ricochet all around the limo. The mouse bounced off the ceiling, windows, floor, ceiling again, before finally stabilizing himself beside Lillian in the back seat.

"Well done, Mickey. I didn't expect that to be nearly as exciting as you made it." The woman complimented. Mickey gazed up at her, and flinched when a cold snowflake dropped upon his head. "Delilah, could you close that, dear?" Lillian requested to an unseen character. The car obliged, and closed the sunroof.

"You expected all that? Or something to the extent?" Mickey questioned, catching his breath.

"I expect you to be well on your way to finding the treasure very soon. And I am glad you got your spark back." Lillian said. Mickey folded his arms in denial.

"I'm still mad at him." Mickey muttered. The words 'and you', he kept to himself.

"I know, Mickey. It hurts now, but it will pass. I'm so proud of you for enduring these hardships. Walt never wished for you to be unhappy. But... he felt a journey such as this was necessary so you and the treasure could heal together." Lillian comforted. 'Heal?' Mickey mentally repeated. 'Heal what has been broken? Damaged?' He brainstormed, trying to link his mother's words and the Magic Mirror's riddle together.

"Mom? Do the words 'from times unspoken' mean anything to you?" Mickey asked.

"No. Not at all." She answered honestly. Mickey slouched forward with his chin in his hands and elbows touching his knees. A moment later the limousine returned the Central Toontown Hospital parking lot. "It's time to say goodbye to everyone, Mickey." The mouse slid out of his seat, and the toon limo automatically opened the rear door for him. Mickey hopped out. Minnie and the rest of the gang huddled around Mickey, rejoicing for his and Lillian's safe return.

"Are you two alright?" Minnie cried.

"We're okay, Min. Just had to throw Chernabog's henchman off the road. Then we were fine." Mickey explained. For Minnie's sake, he tried to smile. Once he said the words out loud, he realized how easy the task had been; for a toon at least. "It was an easy clue." Mickey added. The toons stared at him confusedly. The last 'easy' clue put the gang through sheer terror. Mickey looked back at Lillian. "I guess this is where we say goodbye too." He spoke. Lillian nodded.

"Keep your chin up, Mickey. Things will take a turn for the better very soon." Lillian promised.

"Will you be okay?" Mickey asked.

"Oh, don't worry about me." Lillian laughed. "I may be old and grey, but I can still withstand anything Toontown has to throw at me." Mickey genuinely smiled this time. The two said their farewells, before the toon limo drove off into the crazy technicolor town. Minnie took Mickey's hand, drawing his attention away from the limo.

"Mickey, what do we do now?" Minnie implored. Mickey sighed heavily.

"You're all going home. I gotta..." The words were like poison in Mickey's mouth. His heart threatened to break again. There went the spark he had just reclaimed. 'The nerve of him!' Mickey thought with a mix of anger and despair. 'Leading us on from the beginning that he and I would find this treasure together, as _partners,_ when he never meant it! 'Mickey and I' he said. Bah!' "I gotta go on with Walt."

"But Tinkerbell told us to stick together!" Daisy protested.

"Yeah, or else those demons will come after us and rip us limb from limb!" Donald panicked.

"They will?" Clarabelle gulped.

"Yeah, they already know where _I_ live!" Goofy blurted.

"We just have to take the chance!" Mickey snapped. The mouse bit his tongue a second too late. In a calmer voice, Mickey started over. "We just need to have faith." The statement was entirely hypocritical of Mickey to say, given his current distrust in Walt. "We don't know what will happen when someone deeply involved with the snow globe is separated from it for a long time. All we know for sure is the demons are following the snow globe. So we don't really have a choice, but to trust Walt until the end. There's no other way out. I'll start the next clue on my own. Just in case Donald and Goofy are right, everyone else will bunk at someone else's house. Can we all manage that?" The toons nodded in response. "Good." The mouse stated. The toons silently backed away from the overstressed mouse, aside from Minnie, Pluto, Peter, Martha, and Timothy.

"I'll call my sister, Mandie. She should have room for us." Minnie told Mickey. She leaned on his shoulder, while Mickey held her close.

"If anything happens, I'll come back to protect you." Mickey vowed. "Just call, and I'll be there." A transparent patch of red hovered over Mickey's wrist, indicating the slightest mental pull on his magic robe. Minnie got the message, that Mickey would defend his family with Master Yen Sid's magic at all costs. "Kids." Mickey addressed. Peter, Martha, and Timothy stood at attention. "Listen to your mother, and behave yourselves." Mickey dropped the lecturing parent act, and knelt on one knee. The Mouse children instantly latched onto him. "I love you all so much. I promise I'll be back soon." Mickey stood up and the six tiny hands slowly let go of him. Then Mickey nodded to Martha. "No following this time." Pluto licked his master's hand before Minnie passed the snow globe to her husband. Mickey took the snow globe in both hands, and without another word he strode down the sidewalk, not once looking back at the group. It wasn't until he left the hospital grounds he figured out where he was going. The mouse dropped a portable hole on the sidewalk, and stepped into it. He'd go to the most abandoned place he could think of; the last theater in the colored districts of Toontown still playing black and white cartoon shorts. The Reel Life Cinema on Winkler Square was an empty shell standing on its last bricks. Inside the pitch black theater, Mickey fell into a chair in the tenth row. Setting the snow globe down in the seat next to him, Mickey stood up on the back of the chair and blindly felt the air overhead for the portable hole. He grasped the floating fabric-like gag, rolled it up, and stowed it away in his hammerspace. Then the mouse slid down to the seat of the chair and pressed his thumb to the snow globe's top. A soft white glow illuminated Mickey and the theater seats around him, as the previous clue played back. He gritted his own teeth just listening to it. However, he knew he had to follow his own advice and trust Walt. The message concluded, but just before the image of Mickey and Minnie could fade, Mickey keyed in the next code. Zero, three, one, nine, two, eight. Or at least that was what he hoped he keyed in. Next time he would pick a private area with more light. Luckily the snow globe accepted the code. Mickey watched and listened to the glowing orb intently for the new clue.

"This is a very important clue I hope you're prepared for. In my opinion this will be a very bitter pill to swallow. I hope you can take it better than I can. Cross the boundaries. Don't let anyone spot you. Don't get distracted. And after you recruit the wise guy to your treasure hunting team... don't invite him back to Disneyland. And for future reference, don't feed the lions. The next code is 030528."

July 14, 1956

"Dad, can we talk? I m-mean if you're not busy." Mickey stuttered.

"Sure, son. What's on your mind?" Walt asked.

"Well it's about this... _friend_ of mine. I sorta m-made a mistake... a misjudgment of character really..." Mickey stalled. "I want to make it up to him."

"Go on." Walt encouraged. Mickey nervously held his hands behind his back and dragged the tip of his shoe on the floor.

"Well you see, his sixteenth birthday is coming up. And I was hoping, I could... invite him to Disneyland?" Mickey cautiously begged. Walt couldn't help but laugh at this. Mickey's ears drooped submissively. His tail had subconsciously found its way into Mickey's fists.

"Mickey, you never have to ask permission to invite your friends to Disneyland." Walt smiled.

"I thought I should ask about this one, Dad." Mickey admitted.

"Really? Why's that?" Walt played along.

"You don't trust him." Mickey mumbled to the floor. Walt cleared his throat.

"Okay, who exactly are we talking about?" Walt questioned, trying to understand the severity of the situation that made Mickey so anxious. Mickey looked up at Walt frantically.

"He won't cause any trouble, or break anything! I promise!" Mickey shrunk back as soon as the words flew out of his mouth. His tail looped around his fingers and bound them in knots.

"Son, who are we talking about here?" With his hands literally tied, Mickey gave in. 'Here it goes.' The mouse prepared himself.

"Bugs Bunny."

December 17, 1983 12:10 pm.

Mickey shook himself out of his memories in time to see a black and white picture of himself from the 1929 short The Opry House. Mickey marched with his chest puffed out in front of a poster. The font on the poster read YANKEE DOODLE GIRLS above a dancing Minnie Mouse. Mickey assumed Walt meant she would be his biggest distraction. Which was true considering how he worried for her and their children now. But he had to push that aside. Now in order to find the treasure Mickey had to focus on working alongside... Bugs Bunny?! Mickey facepalmed in the darkness. What was Walt thinking at the time? Why on Earth would he assign Bugs Bunny a clue like Tinkerbell, Br'er Rabbit, and Lillian had? Bugs wasn't a close friend of the family. He was an enemy to the studio. Sure Bugs and Mickey were on equal grounds in the present. But in Walt's time, Bugs was an egotistical rising star. He had the confidence to step on anyone who got in his way and know he would face no consequences. Mickey was more than once used as one of those footstools.

Whatever Walt's reason could be, Mickey wouldn't figure it out sitting in an abandoned theater. The mouse pulled a flashlight from his hammerspace to guide his way out. 'Cross the boundaries.' Mickey pondered. 'That's gotta mean go from Disney to Warner Brothers Studios. Don't let anyone spot you. Yeah, back when we were all as patriotic about our studios as we were about our country, and ya got pummeled for standing on another company's turf.' He remembered. Mickey couldn't be bothered by that old custom. The toons of the modern times were much more tolerant of each other than the toons of Mickey's generation. Then again, there were a lot of old toons at WB who preferred the old ways. Daffy Duck being one example of the toons whom Mickey imagined would want to take a swing at him with a mallet. 'Bugs won't be at the Warner Brothers lot today anyway. It's Saturday.' Mickey realized. Now he just hoped he remembered his old friendly rival's address.

Half an hour later, Mickey drove up to the main gate of the most one-of-a-kind toon designed house he'd ever seen. Engraved on the stone pathway were the initials 'BB'. To the left, the carrot shaped mailbox had the same initials. The iron gate with a detailed carrot shaped door stood only five feet tall; though that was plenty of height to keep out many toons. Beyond the gate, there was a paved courtyard hosting several exotic looking plants. Then Mickey's eyes followed the path up the stone stairs beside the pure ACME carrot juice waterfall. Finally, balanced atop the 'waterfall's' giant rocks, was the yellow abode built upon story upon story of cubic rooms, topped off with a telescope observatory.

"Eh, you were expecting a hole in the ground?" A voice sounded. Mickey nearly jumped out of his skin, suddenly realizing the famous rabbit had appeared beside him.

"Bugs!" Mickey exclaimed.

"What's up, Doc?" Bugs quipped. In that instant the two greeted each other like old friends, without a hint of malice. Bugs pushed the iron gate open, and invited Mickey inside.

"There's no snow here." Mickey noticed whilst climbing the stairs.

"I paid me nephew Clyde ta shovel it. It was gettin' so steep I had ta sled all the way down these steps ta get the paper." Bugs explained.

"Ha, sounds like fun." Mickey commented.

"Yeah, you'd t'ink fun till ya have ta climb up again." They made plessant small talk until the two settled in Bugs' poinsettia and garland decorated TV room. The toons sat on the couch with their backs to the armrests. "So what're ya really here for, Doc? Besides the cocoa." Bugs questioned. Mickey smirked and set the mug on the coffee table.

"Well, get ready for a surprise." Mickey summoned the snow globe from behind his back and showed it to Bugs. "I'm here about this." He said, presenting the snow globe. Bugs quickly hid his lack of enthusiasm for the trinket.

"For me? Oh you shouldn't have! Merry Christmas!" Bug cheered, taking the snow globe in one hand. Mickey quickly grasped the snow globe, trying to take it back.

"Bug it's not a Christmas present to you." Mickey argued, yanking the snow globe towards his chest. Bugs' whiskers twitched in irritation. The rabbit put his free hand on his hip.

"Well you're a little late for my boithday, Doc." Bugs scowled, pulling the snow globe back towards him.

"Bugs! Knock it off!" Mickey demanded. The mouse and rabbit fought tug-of-war for the snow globe. Mickey was losing grip on the base, so he moved one hand to the dome. Suddenly the snow storm erupted inside the snow globe. Mickey swiftly withdrew his hand, but it was too late. Bugs stared at the sparkling white blizzard curiously. Meanwhile, Mickey bit his lip anticipating what was about to happen. Prior to Mickey's search for Bugs' house, Mickey keyed the numbers zero, three, zero, five, two, eight into the snow globe so he wouldn't forget them. Without any introduction to the snow globe, Bugs was about to witness a clue Mickey had never seen nor heard before. Needless to say, Bugs was shocked to hear a voice he never expected to hear again.

"This message is for Bugs Bunny. I only want you on this adventure because you'll provide Mickey with a unique new perspective; as I am sure stress and fear is clouding his judgement by now. Do not take this lightly, Bugs Bunny! A dead man's final wish and the fate of his living family is nothing to joke about! You will help my son find the treasure, even for nothing in return! Is that clear?! Good. Now the first task I need you to help Mickey with is finding a missing toon. An inkblot known as Sadie Cat. She may be called other names such as Sagebrush Sadie, or Sadie Whiskers. I want you and Mickey to work together especially on this task. Don't maim yourselves or Sadie in the process. And choose your words wisely, both of you. Sadie doesn't know anything about the snow globe. Thank you for your cooperation Bugs Bunny. If you and Mickey succeed, then I, Walter Elias Disney solemnly swear that I will not haunt, sabotage, steal, plagiarize, or damage in any way, shape, or form, Warner Brothers studio or any of it's fine works. 022028 is your first code, Bugs Bunny."

The following image from Mickey's cartoon Mickey's Rival (1936) went completely unnoticed by Mickey. The mouse was more concerned about Bugs who's grey fur had turned ghostly white. The rabbit's pupils shrank, and his mouth hung open. His frozen posture read horror-struck.

"Bugs? Are you alright?" Mickey queried. Bugs said nothing as he fell backwards off the armrest, hitting the floor stiff as a board.


	17. Mickey Romeo Part 1

July 27, 1956

The man stood at Disneyland's entrance, awaiting the honored guest. Behind him was a large purple and white floral display of Mickey's face. The man would smile and shake hands with guests, but always kept one eye out for the anticipated arrival. And there he was tagging along behind Mickey. He passed through the turnstile charge free on the count of Mickey notifying the cast member that all his best friends get in for free. There wasn't a doubt in the man's mind that Mickey would spoil his friend the whole day with free rides, food, and souvenirs. This new friend appeared to be a four foot tall blue and white rabbit with a golden crown perched on his head. His ears laid down, brushing the back of his neck, his nose was a red dot, and his cheeks were bare of whiskers. The rabbit walked slowly towards the man with Mickey at his side. He knew he wasn't taking another step further into Disneyland without the man's say so. The mouse and rabbit stopped in front of the man. Taking a carrot in his yellow gloved hand, the rabbit took a nibble before saying

"What's up, Walt?" Mickey smiled eagerly, already showing his approval. But Walt was not so easily swayed. Bugs wore a convincing disguise, but Walt knew people would see straight through it the second they heard that Brooklyn accent.

"Bugs Bunny. What do you see at the farthest reach of your eyesight?" Walt quizzed. He motioned to his right. Bugs looked over the Main Street buildings and tunnel to Frontier Land.

"Trees." Bugs answered.

"Not Warner Brothers Studio?" Walt questioned. Bugs raised an eyebrow. The rabbit wondered if he'd have to turn this peaceful meeting into a battle to defend his home roots.

"No, Doc." Bugs confirmed.

"That is the view around the whole park. It is a safe and _sacred_ place secluded from the rest of the world where past, future, and fantasy thrive and promote the family ideals that made America. It is not your plaything to throw a whoopee cushion under." Walt lectured. Bugs stayed silent. "Give me one reason why I should let you stay in my park, even after your history?" Bugs eyes darted away from Walt. He really was ashamed of _that_ stunt. The rabbit met Walt's eyes again and raised his right hand.

"I, Bugs Bunny solemnly swear that I will not sabo-ta-ge, steal, plagiarize, or damage in any way, shape, or form, Disneyland or any of it's fine woiks." Bugs vowed. Walt's solemn expression didn't change.

"Dad, I trust him." Mickey said. Walt finally offered his hand to Bugs.

"Then you are welcome here..." Walt accepted. Bugs took the man's hand, suppressing all urges to slip a joy buzzer under his glove. "...at Mickey's side at all times." Walt finished. The man left the toons on that note. Bugs felt a weight lift off his shoulders; a weight caused by the man's powerful and assertive presence. Who would have thought he'd be intimidated by Walt Disney? That was not the same side of Walt everyone saw on T.V.

"If your dad stood between a muddah bear and her cubs, an' the muddah bear stood between your dad and you, my money's on him." Bugs said, jabbing his thumb at Walt. Mickey smiled, completely unfazed by the lecture.

"Don't worry. He doesn't hold grudges." Mickey assured. Bugs decided not to waste time arguing that statement. The rabbit folded his arms.

"Well, Doc? Ya gonna give me my present?" Bugs smirked. Mickey laughed and threw his hands up in the air, gesturing to the park as a whole.

"Happy Birthday, Bugs!" Mickey cheered. The blue rabbit and black mouse then took off in a race down Main Street.

December 17, 1983 12:55 pm.

"Bugs? Hey Buuugs?" A voice coaxed the rabbit back to consciousness. His half opened eyes slowly focused on the ceiling. He was home; he could tell that much. But everything else was a blur. A mysterious hand hovered by Bugs' face with a small cup. A thumb moved Bugs' lower lip down and the rest of the hand poured a mystery liquid into the rabbit's mouth. Meanwhile the dazed bunny offered no resistance. As soon as the liquid dripped onto his tongue, he identified the flavor. 'Carrot Juice!' Bugs realized. Suddenly Bugs grabbed the cup from the unidentified hand, sat up, threw his head back, and guzzled the juice down. Once he finished, Bugs casually handed the empty cup back to Mickey.

"T'anks Doc. I needed dat." Bugs sighed, wiping his mouth.

"You're welcome?" Mickey replied awkwardly. Bugs picked up on Mickey's strange tone, then pondered why Mickey was at his house in the first place. Then it all came back to him when he noticed the snow globe near Mickey's feet.

"Oooh, no!" Bugs yelled, leaping straight up to wrap his limbs around the ceiling fan. Mickey groaned. This was going to take a while. The mouse got to his feet and stowed the snow globe away for the time being.

"Bugs, please come down from there." Mickey pleaded.

"And take my chances wit' a haunted crystal ball? I suppose next you gonna tell me I'll see t'ree ghosts tonight!" Bugs snapped.

"That wasn't a ghost, Bugs. It's just a recording." Mickey explained. "Walt made it a few months before he passed." Bugs' nose wrinkled up. The rabbit glared at Mickey.

"Say, wait a minute! He made dat just ta scare me, didn't he?! And you! You had de noive to bring it to me after all we've been t'rough!" Bugs accused. Mickey rolled his eyes.

"Will you just come down here so I can explain everything?" Mickey griped. Bugs let his feet hang, unlatched his fingers, and gently flapped his ears to flutter down to the carpet. The rabbit stomped to the couch and took a seat. Mickey sat beside him, intertwining his fingers at his lap. "Before Walt passed," The mouse began. "he recorded these twenty-six clues. And Master Yen Sid built this magic snow globe. So when I touch the top of the snow globe, one of Walt's clues is played. The snow storm special effects you saw was caused Master Yen Sid's magic. Anyway, each clue has a code that activates the next clue. And after the last clue, there's supposed to be... a treasure. Like a real hidden treasure. Walt said it was a family treasure, and someone stole it from him a long time ago. Master Yen Sid says I have to find it before Christmas Eve, or it'll be gone forever. I don't know how or why, but a lot's at stake if I don't find that treasure in time. As you heard already, Walt wasn't kidding around when he made these clues. A few hours ago, a clue told me to split from Minnie and my friends who've helped me this far, just to find you. I know this isn't your problem, and I won't judge if you blame Walt for dragging you into this. I know I've put the blame on him a lot lately. The point is, I want to be fair and say you don't have to get involved if you don't want to. But I can't. Bugs, I can't find that treasure without you. So... will you help me?" Mickey begged. After a long pause, Bugs responded.

"Alright. I'll help ya out, Doc. Just stop giving me da puppy dog eyes." Bugs gave in. Mickey bowed his head, gratefully.

"Thanks Bugs. It means a lot to me." Mickey thanked. The rabbit sat up from the couch.

"Don't mention it, Doc." Bugs shrugged. "Just let me phone Daffy, and tell him ta bring Art home..." Mickey snapped into an upright pose. Alarm was written on his face. Bug turned his back, completely missing the mouse's expression.

"Art?!" Mickey repeated. Art Melvin Bunny, the mouse recalled. The only drawn offspring of Bugs Bunny. Animated for and named after the short Portrait of the Artist as a Young Bunny (1980), in which he played a younger version of his father.

"Yeah, you remember him. Well you won't believe dis, but Art and Daffy's youngest are closer than peas in a pod. Luckily he still manages to drive Daffy up the wall as well as I do." Bugs chatted on his way out the door.

"Bugs, you can't get your son involved in this!" Mickey exclaimed. Bugs stopped in his tracks.

"And why, pray tell is dat?" Bugs asked.

"It's too dangerous." Mickey answered. Bugs stifled a laugh.

"It's a scavenger hunt made by Walt for _you._ How much danger could he possibly put _you_ in?"

"Well so far my family and I have been kidnapped by pirates, chased by a bear, abducted in the middle of the night, held hostage in a castle, shaken like dice in a train wreck, shot in the stomach with False Dip bullets... Oh, and at the same time, demons from Bald Mountain are chasing us all over trying to take the snow globe." Mickey reported.

"Whoa, slow down der'. Did you say Dip?" Bugs questioned.

"False Dip." Mickey corrected. "And it's nothing like what we've ever seen before." The mouse warned. Mickey intentionally left out the fact that the False Dip was a mistake; a corrupted adaptation of Walt's plan. All the more reason for Bugs to shelter Art from the quest. And it worked.

"Daffy'll tear out his feaders before he has ta babysit a rabbit longer den six hours. I'll call Granny an' see if she can house da li'l Duracell bunny for a couple days." The rabbit compromised. Mickey nodded. Bugs exited the TV room, walked around the corner, and made perfect eye contact with his audience.

"Sorry Folks, me kid's debut will have to wait a few fanfics." Bugs munched into a carrot. "Tessa's on a Disney spree for now."

After arrangements were made, Bugs returned to Mickey's side on the couch.

"So?" Mickey asked.

"So now what?" Bugs responded, avoiding anymore chitchat about his personal life. He and the mouse had work to do, didn't they?

"Well we have to listen to the clue again, now that you know what to expect, and figure out what it means." Mickey instructed.

"Sounds simple enough." Bugs commented. Mickey brought the snow globe out from his hammerspace and placed it in his lap. Then the mouse pressed his thumb to the globe. Just as before, the blizzard stirred up in an instant. Walt's voice spoke over a layer of static.

"This message is for Bugs Bunny. I only want you on this adventure because you'll provide Mickey with a unique new perspective; as I am sure stress and fear is clouding his judgement by now. Do not take this lightly, Bugs Bunny! A dead man's final wish and the fate of his living family is nothing to joke about! You will help my son find the treasure, even for nothing in return! Is that clear?! Good. Now the first task I need you to help Mickey with is finding a missing toon. An inkblot known as Sadie Cat. She may be called other names such as Sagebrush Sadie, or Sadie Whiskers. I want you and Mickey to work together especially on this task. Don't maim yourselves or Sadie in the process. And choose your words wisely, both of you. Sadie doesn't know anything about the snow globe. Thank you for your cooperation Bugs Bunny. If you and Mickey succeed, then I, Walter Elias Disney solemnly swear that I will not haunt, sabotage, steal, plagiarize, or damage in any way, shape, or form, Warner Brothers studio or any of it's fine works. 022028 is your first code, Bugs Bunny."

The sparkling white blizzard turned to a blue/grey fog around blotches of black, red, and yellow. The image of himself came into Mickey's view. In the picture he looked rather ticked off. Beside him formed the image of a carefree Minnie in a blue skirt. One arm held her frilly skirt, the other stretched out to a yet to be developed section of the image. Mickey's teeth clenched together. He knew exactly what cartoon that illustration came from, and he knew exactly who the green, tan, and black shapes would turn out to be. Mortimer Mouse. With the picture complete, the reason for Mickey's sour expression was perfectly obvious. The little inkblot in red shorts was jealous of this fully colored toon who held his sweetheart's hand.

"Well, well. Who is dat?" Bugs mocked, pointing at Mortimer.

"No one." Mickey muttered.

"Had to be someone, if Walt wanted ya ta notice him." Bugs speculated. Mickey tensed with anger. 'That rabbit doesn't know anything.' Mickey told himself.

"The pictures don't always match what the clues say." Mickey fibbed. "Anyway we're supposed to be looking for a Sadie Cat." He reminded.

"Who is missing and has many assumed names. Yeah, she should be easy to track down." Bugs remarked sarcastically. Mickey slid off the couch.

"Well if Walt used her original name, then we can search for her in the Toontown Hall of Records." Mickey suggested. Bugs looked surprised.

"You've been in der'?" Bugs queried.

"Yeah. Being the founder of Toontown grants me access, and being Toontown's longest running mayor doesn't hurt either." Mickey boasted. Bugs rolled his eyes. Mickey prepared to throw a portable hole on the ground, when Bugs stood up and grasped the mouse's right shoulder. The mouse paused, letting his throwing arm slack.

"My house, my rules. We burrow out." Bugs insisted. Mickey lowered his arm.

"O-okay." Mickey accepted. Bugs lead the way outside to his garden, which was bare of crops due to the season.

"Just tell me where we're goin'." Bugs said, drawing a circle in the soil.

"About three stories under Toontown Hall." Mickey told.

"So dat's where it is." Bugs noted. "No kiddin'?"

"Yeah, just don't go advertising it, please." Mickey requested. Bugs suddenly jumped straight up four feet, flipped, and dove ears first into the ground. In a flash, his feet disappeared down the rabbit hole. Mickey knelt on one knee, clapped his hands together over his head, and did a much safer dive down the hole. Mickey slid face first down a steep slope before the tunnel leveled out to a horizontal line.

"By the way, Doc, how good's yer night vision?" Bugs' voice echoed ahead. Mickey squinted, searching for a white patch of fur or any sign of Bugs.

"What night vision?" Mickey hollered into the pitch black tunnel. A scampering sound caught Mickey's ears. It was coming closer. Suddenly a red light ignited inches from Mickey's face. The mouse jumped back, hitting his head on the tunnel wall. Half of Bugs' amused face glowed red in the light. Next the rabbit stuck the glowing red orb on Mickey's nose and topped his head with glow in the dark green antlers.

"Der'." Bugs stated, proud of his work. "Now stay right on my tail." He ordered. Mickey shook his head. This was humiliating. But at least no one was around to see it. The two scurried under Toontown for what felt like hours to Mickey. Even with toon speed to pick up the pace, he still panted heavily. Bugs slowed his digging. Then he patted the packed dirt over his head.

"Are we there yet?" Mickey asked a few feet behind.

"I t'ink so." Bugs replied. He drew a circle on the dirt above his head, and scooted backwards. A pillar of dirt came loose, collapsing in a pile between the two. Bugs stood up inside the pillar, and pushed away a thick rectangular stone. What he saw surprise him; so much so that he was certain he'd taken a wrong turn. The small room seemed to be carved out of the earth, as the walls were nothing more than unanimated, real dirt. A soft yellow glow flickered around the room from the flaming torches mounted on the wall. The only exit to the room was a spider web covered stone staircase. "Eh, Doc?" Bugs hesitated. "Are we _supposed_ ta be in a tomb?"

"Yeah! That's the place." Mickey called from below. 'Oh, bruddah.' Bugs mentally moaned. The rabbit pushed himself out of the hole, and extended his arm a little longer than its usual drawn length, to pull Mickey up. The mouse dusted himself off, and discarded his light up accessories in the rabbit hole. Then he strode straight to the right wall farthest from the stairs. Mickey studied the wall, until he found what he was looking for. Something in the wall reflected the light of a flame off its black surface. Mickey lifted his fist to eye level, and knocked on the black object.

Shave, and-a haircut...

 **CLUNK-CLUNK!**

A tiny statue of Felix the Cat's head wearing a pharaoh's gold and blue striped headdress emerged from the wall. Mickey covered the statues face with his hand, and twisted the smiling cat upside down. The chamber rumbled with the sound of shifting rocks. Then the opposite wall began to rise. Mickey calmly walked to the new doorway, while Bugs stood with his mouth open.

"Today is full of surprises." Bugs thought out loud, before joining Mickey. The two proceeded down three stone steps, before gazing at a wide, modernized, white tiled hallway, seeming endless to the right and left. The sheetrock walls seemed infinitely tall too. Along the walls stood file cabinet, after file cabinet, after file cabinet to eternity. Each label on a cabinet door held a toon's name and animation date. "Gee, how do we find the dame in all this?" Bugs wondered, looking around.

"The files are organized by animation year and then alphabetically. The 1930's are this way." Mickey directed. The mouse and rabbit walked side by side down the legendary hall.

"Hey, Doc. I've been t'inkin'." Bugs brought up.

"Yeah?" Mickey questioned.

"Yer dad said ta choose our woids carefully around dis cat..." Bugs continued.

"Mm-hmm." Mickey agreed.

"What exactly does he want us to say to her?" Bugs finished. Mickey was silent for a moment. Once again, Walt lead him via brief details.

"Let's hope we figure that out." Mickey decided.


	18. Mickey Romeo Part 2

September 27, 1947

It was Daffy's idea to go out really. He'd suffered too long, itching to see the new Dick Tracy movie. If it had been his choice he would have gone to the premier a day ago. But three of his kids had piano recitals that same night, and Daffy knew his dearest Daphne would pound him into next week if he didn't attend. 'The joys of family life.' Bugs had mused. The point being, it was Daffy's idea to drag his closest 'friends' to the theater that night. Bugs Bunny was not one of those friends. Nevertheless the rabbit invited himself into the group just for the sake of not being left out. Or was it just to see Daffy's jealousy get the best of him? Either way Bugs couldn't pin the blame on Daffy for the first meeting. In the end Bugs had no one to blame or thank, but himself.

"Whaddya t'ink the crowd's waitin' around for?" Bugs asked, referring to the mass of humans located just outside the far left theater doors. Several humans passed by them, using the other two pairs of double doors. But that crowd, that multitude of tuxes, cameras, and notepads stayed put.

"Who caresth! We're already late for the movie!" Daffy snapped, fumbling with tickets. Bugs didn't know why, but something had him hooked to the scene.

"You kids, go ahead. I'll catch up later." Bugs said.

"No rush." Daffy muttered under his breath, striding inside the theater along with seven or so other toons. Bugs folded his arms behind his back, casually walked passed the humans, and leaned against the building to watch from a distance. The rabbit didn't have to wait long. All of a sudden the humans bustled with excitement.

"Here they come!" One man shouted. Bugs tilted his head with increased interest. Then the humans huddled together and let out a chorus of cheers. Their bodies completely hid the mystery celebrities. Only the white flashes from their cameras broke through the black suited barriers. Finally Bugs picked up on a distinct word rising above the hubbub. It was a plea for a celebrity's attention in an interview or a perfect camera shot.

"Mickey!"

"Mickey!"

"Mickey!"

Bugs couldn't believe his ears, until the crowd parted, and there they were. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy, practically glowing in the spotlight. Bugs scowled in their direction.

"You _must_ be joking." Bugs mumbled to no one. "What did he do to desoive dat?" As if to answer his question, a mysterious force prompted Bugs to turn around. The rabbit suddenly jumped away from the wall, realizing what he'd been leaning against all this time. 'Full-Length Musical Cartoon Feature, Walt Disney's Fun and Fancy Free' the poster read, with Mickey and friends taking up a fourth of the poster. Bugs took a few steps back, and munched on a carrot that hadn't been in his hand a second ago. The rabbit gathered his thoughts some more. He'd never admit it to anyone, but Bugs had to give credit to some of the Disney cartoons. Donald's temper making him cut loose in a violent cartoon frenzy could be entertaining, and Goofy's never ending struggle against his own two left feet was good for a laugh. But Mickey was different. According to Bugs, Mickey's cartoons were low class; nothing to get excited about. The reason being, Mickey was just too predictable. In every Mickey Mouse cartoon Bugs had seen, Mickey started out doing this average human activity, played the piano like a human, tripped over a bucket like a human, ran away from his gargantuan foe like a human, pulled two or three toon tricks to outsmart his foe, and got the girl in the end like every human desires. To sum it up, Mickey never reached his full toon potential in performance. Where he lacked in crude humor, he made up for with a friendly disposition. For some reason Bugs couldn't understand, audiences just ate that stuff up. "Hmph. Let 'im enjoy dis moment now. It won't last." Bugs snarled. He discarded the leafy carrot top, preparing himself to walk inside the theater and forget he'd ever witnessed the atrocious scene. But then a particularly 'desphicable' thought crossed his mind. Why not, _not_ make the moment last another second? Why not have a little friendly competition? A devilish smile widened on Bugs' face. "Eh, what will it hoit?" Bugs answered himself. The rabbit bounded to the center point between the crowd and the ticket booths; in perfect range for all to see. The mouse's adoring public hadn't batted an eye in Bugs' direction. Bugs rubbed his hands together in anticipation, puffed out his chest, hand hollered at the top of his lungs. "LOOK FOLKS! IT'S BUGS BUNNY!"

Instantly all heads looked up. Not a second later, the humans charged towards Bugs. Camera's flashing, hands flying, people praising the rabbit. Bugs shook everyone's hands, signed all notepads, and obliged to all requests. Whilst the rabbit spun in and out of various costumes and quoted his various cartoons, the Disney toon trio stood in shock with not a single human soul looking their way.

"Bricker-bracker! Firecracker! Siss, boom, bah! Bugs Bunny! Bugs Bunny! Rah-rah-RAH!" Bugs chanted, parading around in a baggy Superman sweatshirt and red cape. The crowd applauded for more. So Bugs rocketed into the air and flew a loop-de-loop overhead. He nosedived with the sound effect of a fighter jet down to the pavement, flipping onto his feet at the last second. For his next trick, Bugs changed into a grey baseball uniform with red undersleeves and a red cap. "Eeh, watch me paste dis pat'etic palooka with a powerful, paralyzin', poifect, pachydermous, percussion pitch." Bugs danced backwards, revving up a yet to be named Tasmanian Devil sound effect. The rabbit madly jabbed his fists and elbows in every direction without releasing the ball. Finally he kicked his right foot up behind him and pitched the ball over his shoulder. What happened next was a truly honest accident. Nevertheless, it still happened. And a certain mouse wouldn't let Bugs live it down for a long time.

The baseball escaped the crowd, and shot like a speeding bullet straight towards Mickey. In a split second of panic, Mickey couldn't move. He froze up, unable to dodge the ball with toon speed or mentally decelerate the ball into slow motion. Mickey's time was up. WHAM! Bugs' perfectly pitched ball hit Mickey straight in the eye, and knocked him off his feet. Before Donald of Goofy could catch him, Mickey fell flat on his back. The humans silently stared with their mouths gaping open. Bugs however, shut his eyes tightly and slapped a hand over his mouth. He could hardly contain his laughter. Despite Bugs' want, no _need_ to relieve himself of his bottled up laughter, the rabbit wiped the grin off his face, and calmly approached Mickey. Bugs knew better than to do something rash, and let the crowd take Mickey's side again. Hovering over the mouse sprawled out on the pavement, Bugs studied him. Mickey dizzily nodded his head back and forth. A deep purple patch decorated his half closed, swollen, right eye. Miniature baseballs and red stars spiraled over his head. Soon Mickey's mind came back into focus. All except one star disappeared. The stray star flung away from Mickey's head, and stuck one of its points into Bugs' baseball. Mickey blinked in surprise, at the sight of Bugs Bunny so close to him. The rabbit offered a hand. Cautiously Mickey took it, allowing Bugs to lift him up. Bugs smiled to the humans, giving them the illusion of animosity towards the mouse. The gesture satisfied the crowd, and they dispersed. After all, anyone who spent any time around toons knew the unspoken rule that toons who interacted with other toons from rival studios were asking for trouble. Whatever Mickey and Bugs decided to do after that confrontation, no one wanted to involve themselves with.

The confrontation could have ended there. Both toons could have gone their separate ways and never speak of the incident again. But looking down at the baseball punctured by the red star, fireworks exploded in Bugs' head. The rabbit finally had a reason to agitate Mickey. Personally, Bugs never believed in harassing a fellow American without being provoked first. It showed in his cartoons too. For example, Bugs never played deadly hijinks on a hunter before being held at gunpoint. Bugs was a peacemaker at heart. But this mouse! This puny, untalented, mouse who tried to steal Bugs' thunder... Man, did he want to pummel him! Especially after getting his _second_ movie! The problem being, the mouse was so sickeningly friendly, Bugs never had a good reason to retaliate. Until now.

"I'd be more careful if I was you, Doc." Bugs threatened, laying his ears back. Then Bugs picked the baseball off the ground, and nearly shoved it in Mickey's face. "Next time stay out of my way." Bugs growled, flicking the red star at Mickey's nose. The baseball tore open. "And keep dose to yerself, Commie." He sneered. Mickey and Bugs locked hateful eyes with each other. Their irises ignited in orange flames. Steam misted off their heads. Now that the straw broke the camel's back, the rival toon stars were destined to fight over anything. Nothing stood between one and the highest fame and admiration, except the other. Bugs wouldn't let his fans be stolen by this smiling fool of a rodent. Mickey refused to back down to a bully, or lose the fame he'd rightfully earned.

Of course you realized what this meant.

December 17, 1983 4:42 pm.

Bugs shut another file cabinet door, and slammed his forehead against it. His back, shoulders, neck, and everything in between ached from the same monotonous movements he'd made for hours on end. The rabbit officially read five years worth of names, and skimmed through half their files, searching for any mention of Sadie Cat. All he found was a never ending list of S names he'd never heard of. Sinbad the Sailor, Simple Simon, Snooty the Pup, so on, and so on. None of them were remotely similar to Sadie Cat. Bugs looked over at Mickey, balancing atop a ladder close to the far wall. The rabbit's whiskers twitched. Their deal was to start at opposite ends of the 1930's labeled isle.

"You haven't read anyt'ing beyond the year nineteen-thoity?" Bugs exclaimed. "What've ya been doin' all dis time, Mouse?"

"The earliest files are the hardest to sort through, Bugs." Mickey said calmly. "Toontown wasn't established until 1930. So any mismatch records Toontown Council can find on toons existing pre-Toontown end up back here."

"You mean if dis inkblot cat debuted in da '20's, den I spent four hours soichin' for nothin'?" Bugs complained, rubbing a knot in his neck.

"Don't throw in the towel just yet, Bugs. Her records could still be from 1932 or something." Mickey pointed out.

"Den _you_ can check on dat." Bugs moaned. Feeling absolutely defeated from his ears to lower back, Bugs found a comfy stretch of floor to play dead on. Mickey glanced at the rabbit lying on the floor, holding a white lily to his chest. A second later he was absorbed in his work again. "Hey doc?" Bugs asked, twenty steps below Mickey. "You t'ink I still owe ya for knockin' ya into next week wit' a baseball?" Mickey knew exactly what occasion Bugs spoke of.

"No." Mickey answered.

"Well what about the time I almost got ya Dipped?" Bugs questioned. Mickey rolled his eyes.

"Bugs, that's all in the past. I forgave you a long time ago." The mouse reminded.

"But did your father forgive me?" Bugs interrogated, tossing the lily aside. He sat up, leaning on his arms behind him, and arched his back. His ears dragged on the floor.

"What are you getting at, Bugs?" Mickey wondered. He shut another cabinet drawer.

"I'm just trying to figure out why of all toons," Bugs said with a bit of strain as he stretched out his back muscles. "Walt chose me."

"You think he's punishing you?" Mickey smirked. Bugs sprang forward, popping his back. He threw his arms in the air.

"Why wouldn't he?!" Bugs vented.

"Bugs, he doesn't hate you." Mickey placated.

"Didn't, Doc." Bugs corrected. Mickey paused, clutching a new manila folder.

"Right." Mickey agreed. After a minute of uncomfortable silence, Mickey piped up again. "To give me a new and unique perspective. That's why he chose you, Bugs." Mickey recalled.

"Sounds familiar." Bugs nodded. Wheels inside Mickey's head began to turn. The mouse's eyes drifted away from the folders. Mickey got the feeling his brain was onto something. So he slid down the ladder to brainstorm with Bugs.

"Walt said..." The mouse began, planting himself in front of the rabbit. "that _you_ would provide a unique perspective."

"Yeah, and?" Bugs queried.

"And he told us the name 'Sadie Cat' in a clue addressed to you." Mickey continued. "Maybe he expected you to know who Sadie is?"

"But dat would mean..." Bugs pondered. Lightbulbs flashed over the toons' heads.

"She's a Looney Tune!" They shouted together.

"So you _did_ know her once?" Mickey hoped.

"Of course not!" Bugs denied. "But I know someone who did." Bugs stood up, and summoned his cell phone from his hammerspace. "Porky knows everybody." Bugs stated, dialing in a number. Mickey stood as well.

"Uh, Bugs? You probably won't get reception down here." Mickey informed. Bugs pinched the grey brick's antennae, extending it at least three feet. Mickey doubted that could make a difference. But to his surprise, toon logic prevailed. The faintest ringing sounded from the phone. Bugs impatiently tapped his foot. After seven incredibly long seconds, someone picked up on the other end of the line.

"Hello?" A Betty Boop-like voice answered. 'Petunia.' Bugs realized.

"What's up, Doll?" Bugs clued. Mickey stared at Bugs incredulously, assuming Bugs addressed Porky.

"Oh, Bugs! It's so good to hear from you." Petunia gasped.

"Likewise, Petunia. Listen I'd love ta chat, but it's kinda important dat I talk ta Porky straight away. Is he around?" Bugs asked.

"Sorry. He's out of the house right now. If you'd like, I can relay the message to him." Petunia offered.

"No, dat's alright. I'll just call back..." The rabbit paused. "Actually, Petunia? Maybe you could help me wit' something." Bugs chimed in excitedly.

"Sure. What do you need?" She giggled.

"I'm trying to get in contact wit' dis inkblot goil. Does the name 'Sadie Cat' ring a bell to you? Or Sadie Whiskers? Or Sagebrush Sally or somet'ing?" Bugs listed off.

"Oh! You mean Kitty!" Petunia supplied.

"Kitty?" Bugs questioned.

"Yes, my friend Kitty. Back when I did shows at the Ink and Pain Club for extra cash, Kitty and I met at the club and became best of friends." Petunia reminisced.

"Ehh, you sure we're talkin' about the same toon here?" Bugs questioned.

"Absolutely. She told me her name used to be Sadie before Universal bought her contract." Petunia explained.

"From Warner Brothers?" Bugs guessed.

"No, from a different studio. Something else Brothers. I don't remember. But Kitty was never a Looney Tune. She would have told me if she was." Petunia claimed.

"Do you know where I can find her now?" Bugs pressed.

"Well, we haven't seen each other in years. But last I heard she still lived at 1800 Alice Avenue, Two-Tone Town." Petunia said. Bugs couldn't say that address surprised him. Inkblots didn't really fit in anywhere else but Two-Tone Town.

"T'anks Petunia. I owe ya one." Bugs thanked. "Oh, one more t'ing, Doll. About all dese aliases..." He added. "Do ya have any idea why she'd change her name more den once?" The sow became silent. "Petunia?" Bugs called.

"Let's just say... her life had a rough start. She's got a lot of things to hide; things she's tried to run away from." She nearly whispered. "But that's all I can say! She didn't even tell _me_ her whole story." Petunia defended more clearly.

"Okay, I get da picture." Bugs eased off. "T'anks anyway. Tell Porky I said 'Hello' and give the kids hugs from me."

"I sure will." Petunia promised. "Bye Bugs." The rabbit hung up the phone, and shoved the antennae to its compact five inch form. Storing the phone in his hammerspace, Bugs met Mickey's eyes. The mouse wore an overfriendly smile, that put Bugs just a little on edge.

"What?" Bugs cried.

"Gosh, Bugs you're awfully fond of her, aren't you?" Mickey romanticized.

"Don't even start wit' dat, Cupid!" Bugs objected. "She's my friend's wife and I respect her. How do ya expect me to treat her? Like one of da guys?"

"Touché. Now what did ya find out?" Mickey implored.

"Lots." The rabbit suddenly raced off down the white isle, taking a sharp right up the ancient stairs. Mickey could see Bugs was making a B line for the burrow. "I'll tell ya on da way ta Two-Tone Town!" The rabbit hollered.


	19. Mickey Romeo Part 3

Mickey and Bugs retraced their steps through the tunnel Bugs' dug into the Hall of Records. Mickey followed close behind the rabbit, wearing the luminescent reindeer accessories Bugs had previously bestowed upon him. Meanwhile Bugs gave Mickey a recap of his and Petunia's conversation. He retold how Sadie Cat lived on Alice Avenue in Two Tone Town, and now preferred the name Kitty.

"Gee, it's a good thing Walt chose you after all." Mickey commented.

"Come again?" Bugs asked.

"I mean it's a good thing you were here to call someone who knew Kitty. Otherwise, I'd still be looking for S names." Mickey clarified. Bugs agreed, mentally patting himself on the back. "So, why the name 'Kitty'?" Mickey inquired. He assumed Bugs knew, since the rabbit had asked about Sadie's many aliases.

"Eh, apparently Mrs. Sadie studio hopped. Changed her name after Universal bought her contract." Bugs answered. "Oh, and get dis. Sadie a.k.a Kitty is not a Looney Tune. So we was both wrong." The rabbit added, almost laughing.

"So what is she?" Mickey questioned.

"Hmm?" Bugs gave back.

"I mean what studio does she belong to? Where'd she come from?" Mickey expanded.

"Beats me. Petunia couldn't remember. All she could say was da studio may have had da woid 'bruddah' in it. Somet'ing Bruddah, she said. Eh..." Bugs paused his chatting when he noticed the red and green lights behind him became very dim. "What's up, Doc? You're slacking." The rabbit called, as he turned around. Just as he suspected, Mickey had fallen behind. Several meters back, Mickey crouched on his hands and knees. The glowing accessories laid in the dirt in front of him. His face expression read paralyzed with fear. Bugs quickly scrambled back to Mickey. "Hey, Doc! What's da matter wit'cha?!" Bugs cried. Mickey slowly raised his head.

"N-nothing Bugs. It's j-just that..." Mickey stammered. Bugs frantically grabbed Mickey's shoulders and shook him.

"Spit it out, Doc! Before we both have heart attacks!" Bugs demanded. He let Mickey drop to his knees, arms hanging at his sides.

"You don't know... what an important clue you just gave me." Mickey breathed. Bugs roughly shoved the mouse in the shoulder.

"It _better_ be important! Ya scared da daylights outta me!" Bugs scolded. Mickey clenched his hands together and took a deep breath, trying to slow his shock induced heartrate.

"Disney Brothers." Mickey stated. "That's the connection between Sadie and Walt. In 1923, Walt and Roy established the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, which was renamed just before I was animated." The mouse continued. "Bugs, she's gotta be one of, if not the oldest Disney toon in existence. I can't believe I'm going to meet her." Mickey admired.

"Dat is interesting, Doc." Bugs acknowledged. "Now we'll have somethin' to talk about when we see her."

"Walt's been pointing towards the company's origins." Mickey realized. "Yesterday I figured out that the codes for the snow globe are actually dates. This last code for example: zero, three, zero, five, two, eight. It means March 5th, 1928." He explained to Bugs.

"Really?" Bugs awed.

"Yeah, and each code so far ends in two-eight. My mother even said all the dangerous stunts the snow globe puts me through is like th-" Mickey's voice hitched. He meant to say 'like the 1920's through 30's cartoons. That's what he thought Lillian meant anyway. But those weren't her words at all, and now Mickey knew why. 'The trouble you keep running into is not coincidental or crude humor. It reflects the danger and risks in the early cartoons.' The memory of Lillian's voice echoed.

"Oh, now what is it?" Bugs groaned, seeing Mickey return to his shocked expression.

"Like the early cartoons." Mickey finished. "The clues are the cartoons, and the codes are the release dates. Bugs, I think these clues are references to the Alice Comedies." Mickey discovered. Seeing that Mickey was pretty much back to normal, Bugs pointed with his ears down the tunnel. They could continue their conversation on the move. Mickey got the gesture, and picked up his red nose and antlers.

"So what's dis Alice Comedy you mentioned?" Bugs queried, scurrying through the tunnel again.

"Alice Comedies. It's a cartoon series Walt made about a real human girl and her adventures in a cartoon land." Mickey described.

"Hmm. Dis cartoon land, would it happen to be a prototype Toontown?" Bugs wondered.

"You got it." Mickey confirmed. "Anyway the Alice Comedies ran from 1923 to '28; which is the year in each code..." The mouse thought out loud. "The series ending. That had to have something to do with the treasure." He concluded.

"And Kitty's gotta know all about it." Bugs figured. "Did I mention Petunia said Kitty had a lot to hide? I'll bet you fifty carrots, whatever happened in 1928 was da foist reason she changed her name. Somethin' real tragic musta happened dat year." The rabbit glanced over his shoulder at Mickey. "Besides the obvious." Bugs teased.

"Very funny, Bugs." Mickey muttered.

"Don't take it to heart. I just couldn't resist." Bugs laughed. The rabbit faced left, and began to blaze a new underground trail. He picked up the pace with increased toon speed. In a matter of minutes, Bugs and Mickey reached their destination. The rabbit poked his head out of the ground first. To his left he spotted the colored sectors of Toontown bustling with the holiday rush. To his right he beheld a grey city, under a grey sky, beyond a decorative fence of black spiraling beams, that held a large sign over head reading **TWO-TONE TOWN**. Between the two landmarks, Bugs saw nothing but a wide snow covered pasture. "Talk about no man's land." Bugs observed. He wiggled his way out of the hole in the ground, and hollered down to Mickey. "Okay. We're here, Doc." The mouse extended his arms twice their usual length to reach out of the hole. His gloved fingers curled into the snow, getting a grip on the hard, frozen, dirt. Mickey pulled himself up towards where his hands were anchored, shrinking his arms in the process. The mouse maneuvered his elbows above ground, and crawled out from there. Mickey took in the sight of Two Tone Town. It hadn't changed since the last time he was there. In fact it had hardly changed since the first time he was there. Mickey strode towards the main road, but Bugs held his foot in the way. "Hold it, Doc. You're not going in there as is, are ya?" Bugs asked, materializing a carrot from empty space behind his back. Mickey had an idea of what made Bugs so leery.

"Why not? I've got a lot of pals in Two Tone Town. We don't need to run and hide from them."

"Need I remind you dat dis ain't no field trip?" Bugs argued. "C'mon. We're on official treasure hunting business. No time to stop and have social hour wit' yer pals. We go in der' disguised, and we get out before anyone mugs us for your red shorts." Mickey frowned at the stereotype.

"Inkblots are not prejudice of colored toons." Mickey asserted. "If anything, they admire us. But you wouldn't know anything about that." The mouse folded his arms and faced away from Bugs. "You didn't grow up in the old black and white Toontown. You just wouldn't understand anything about inkblots."

"Oh, wouldn't I?! Ack!" A new voice cracked. Mickey spun around to find a white rabbit with an oval head, who stood exactly at Mickey's height minus the ears. The white rabbit coughed, wheezed, and pounded on his chest before composing himself. "Sorry, Mac. I'm a little rusty." The rabbit grunted.

"Bugs? Is that you?" Mickey hesitated. "You look... different." The rabbit zoomed up to Mickey's face, staring him down so intently their foreheads touched.

"You don't say, Sherlock!" The rabbit jested. He proceeded to backflip away from Mickey, and hop circles around him on all fours.

"So this is the great Bugs Bunny's humble beginnings?" Mickey grinned. The rabbit gleefully uttered a Woody Woodpecker-like laugh. Suddenly he froze in mid air.

"Say! Just a minute! What's comin' off here?" The white rabbit protested to his right. He unfroze one arm to wag a finger accusingly at someone. "You _know_ I owned this laugh two years before that woodpecker came along." The rabbit scolded. Right. The rabbit gleefully uttered a Happy Rabbit laugh. "That's better. Hur-hur-hur-HA-huh! Hur-hur-hur-HA-huh!" The toon carried on.

"Bugs, why didn't you tell me your first cartoon was black and white?" Mickey implored.

"It's not Bugs. It's Happy. Happy Rabbit." The rabbit introduced, bounding back over to Mickey. "And ya never asked." Mickey rolled his eyes, accepting the classic answer. "Well what are ya waiting for? Slip into your panda suit, and let's hit the town!" Happy cheered. Mickey took a deep breath. Was he really ready to return to his original design? The mouse settled with a more popular design than his first. He twirled around at hyper toon speed, and when he stopped he appeared just as he did in his first sound cartoon: Steamboat Willie. His eyes were black dots. His inner mouth was grey. His face, shorts, and small shoes were white. Plus his hands were bare of gloves. It was a bittersweet feeling for the mouse, to look so young again. Now came the most bitter part of his disguise; his voice. Something in his mind told him not to use it. For what reason, Mickey couldn't think of a specific one. Could he still use it? Would he damage the old voice inside him if he used it after his voice actor's passing? Would using the voice disrespect Walt somehow? No, Mickey decided. All of those doubts were impossible. The mouse opened his mouth.

"H-h-h-ow does it s-sound?" Mickey quivered.

"Well it's squeaky, muffled, and I can hardly understand ya." Happy critiqued. "Congratulations Mouse! You did it!" The rabbit blurted, grabbing Mickey's hand and shaking his whole body wildly.

"You can't help but be a screwball, can ya?" Mickey presumed once Happy let go of his hand.

"That's right! You're absolutely correct, sir! Hur-hur-hur-HA-huh! Hur-hur-hur-HA-huh!" Happy guffawed, skipping off towards Two Tone Town.

"Bugs-er, Happy! Wait up!" Mickey squeaked.

The streets of Two Tone Town were as crowded and hectic as Toontown Square; if not more so. Black and white toons drove their smiling and winking cars through traffic, weaving around each other like rubber hoses. Most of the buildings had faces and swayed to an old piano tune echoing throughout the town. Each car horn, yowling cat, traffic cop whistle, or any other sound effect on the block had the same quality of Mickey's voice. Happy pranced along the mostly vacant sidewalk, occasionally hurtling objects like fire hydrants and trash cans. Suddenly the rabbit came to a screeching halt at a crosswalk. He waited for his companion to catch up. Mickey eventually stomped up to him, looking more than annoyed with the rabbit.

"Need I remind you this ain't...no...field trip? C'mon! We're on official treasure hunting business. BAH!" Mickey scorned. Happy got the message, and followed behind Mickey the rest of the way. Which was an improvement since Mickey actually knew the way to Alice Ave. As it turned out Alice Ave was a short stretch of road in the middle of a maze-like neighborhood complex. Alice Ave and every street like it, was lined with identical white one story houses about twelve feet apart from each other. Practically the only thing that gave the houses some diversity was the address numbers on the mailboxes at the end of the lawns.

"1806, 1805, 1804, 1803..." Happy counted out loud, nodding to each mailbox. Mickey stopped in mid step. He held his hand out behind him so Happy would predictably bump into the mouse's palm instead of his back. With his eyes still on the mailboxes, the rabbit ran into Mickey's hand. "Hey! Who ya shovin', bub?" Happy snapped.

"Look." Mickey directed, pointing at a mailbox with flowers doodled under the number 1800.

"We found it." Happy announced. The rabbit dashed ahead to march up house 1800's walkway, but he froze at the mailbox. "Hey, get a load of this!" Happy called to Mickey. The mouse came to Happy's side, and realized right away what got the hyperactive rabbit's attention. The left side of the mailbox was decorated with a name in black letters. **ORTENSIA CAT** the letters read. Happy and Mickey looked at each other. "Hmm... Do you think Petunia coulda made a mistake?" Happy wondered.

"No. This is just another false name, like Kitty." Mickey proclaimed.

"Uh-huh! That's exactly what I was thinking." Happy agreed. The colored toons in disguise walked up to Mrs. Ortensia Cat's residence. Mickey knocked on the door. He mentally prepared himself for who he might see on the other side. Everything he wanted to say to her was well rehearsed in his mind. Now he just had to say it all out loud and not make a fool of himself. The door swung open. Suddenly Mickey stood eye to eye with... _her._ She was an inkblot cat as expected. Her head was perfectly round aside from two tiny pointed ears. She wore a white puffy skirt and a circular hat with a flower barrette. She batted her long eyelashes at Mickey in two curious blinks. In that instant Mickey felt a swelling in his heart. Was he falling for another woman besides Minnie? Heavens no! This feeling in his heart resembled what he felt for any toon who joined the Walt Disney Company family. Mickey's innocent and good natured inner self instantly imagined he and Ortensia becoming best friends. However, Ortensia did not identify Mickey as family. Before Mickey could voice how glad he was to meet her, Ortensia lit into him. Without saying a word, Ortensia made Mickey feel about three inches tall. Happy watched the cat furiously communicate her contempt in seeing Mickey's mug on her doorstep. 'Sign language.' Happy realized. Though the rabbit hadn't the slightest clue what she was saying, it didn't take a genius to figure out she was outraged by Mickey. Finally Ortensia concluded her rant, and slammed the door in their faces. Mickey was speechless. "So what was that about?" Happy inquired.

"She said 'I know exactly who you are.'" Mickey answered. He knew that shouldn't have surprised him, but it did. The way Ortensia glared into his eyes, like he had known her before and wronged her in the past.

"And?" Happy nudged.

"And 'I can't believe you have the nerve to come here. After you ruined my husband's life, and destroyed our marriage, you dare come to me now? Fifty-five years later? Why? To say you're sorry? Well I don't want to hear it. Nothing you say can change what you've done to us. Now scram and never come back. And stay away from my sons.'" Mickey translated glumly. After the cat chewed him out, he didn't have the confidence to relay the message with the same fierceness the cat had.

"Wow. She said all that?" Happy asked.

"And then some. I just told ya the nicer version." Mickey gloomed. "Without the four letter words." He added. The mouse bowed his head, and turned to walk away from the house.

"Hold on a second, chum!" Happy alerted, grabbing Mickey's arm. "Don't let her get away now! She told you off because she's hiding something. It's a classic case of a guilty witness not cooperating with the detectives. I'll prove it to ya." The rabbit released Mickey's arm, and promptly pounded his fist on the door. Ortensia opened the door, armed with a boxing glove on a spring. She shot the glove out, but Happy jumped on top of the glove and rode the retracting spring inside the house. The door slammed itself closed. Mickey frantically tried to pry the door open, but it wouldn't budge. "Listen Sister! I-" Happy shouted. His voice suddenly became overpowered by a commotion of shattering glass, falling pianos, ripping fabric, collapsing wood furniture, and the roaring of a chainsaw. Mickey stepped back, terrified of how Happy could be 'interrogating' the cat. Then the hair-raising shrieks of Bugs Bunny pierced through the chaos. Mickey forced himself to be brave. He sped down the walkway, faced the door, and prepared to knock it down with all his might! The mouse stomped and dragged his foot on the ground like a bull about to charge. Mickey let loose, bolting towards the door. Two and a half seconds later he would make impact. If he had any doubts, this would've be the moment to change his mind. "Hey, Mouse!" a voice hollered. Mickey stopped in his tracks. His eyes darted to the front lawn where he beheld Happy Rabbit half buried in the ground and munching a grey carrot. "What're ya doing, ya crazy?! Let's get outta here!" The rabbit disappeared down the hole, and the mouse dove in after him.

Later that evening, Mickey and Happy left a deli shop with dinner in a bag. They would eat their sandwiches on the road, before bunking at one of Mickey's pal's places for the night. The mouse claimed he knew plenty who wouldn't mind him and Happy dropping in on such short notice. Happy expected a bachelor inkblot. That he could handle. But when Mickey lead him to a small farmhouse out in the hills, Happy had his doubts. When the toons trudged up on the front steps, Happy could hear several youthful voices chattering and bickering. Happy looked at Mickey hopelessly. Mickey just smiled and rang the doorbell. The next thing Happy knew, his eyes gave a slight jolt back in his head, so not to be hit by the overbearing presence of Mickey's friend. The rabbit's view could hardly hold the bowling ball shaped black pig, wearing a white skirt and bloomers. At her knees, if you could call them that, dozens of black and grey patched piglets tried to push around her and get a glimpse of the visitors.

"Hi Patricia." Mickey greeted. The pig pulled Mickey up to her inflated chest, and squeezed him like a doll.

"Mickey! It's been so long! How are you!" Patricia exclaimed. Thankfully for Mickey, she put him down and let him catch his breath.

"Just dandy, Patricia...Just...dandy." Mickey panted. "This is my friend, Happy Rabbit." Mickey recovered. "We were passing through Two Tone Town, just to visit Memory Lane, figuratively speaking... and we kinda lost track of time. It was dark before we knew it." The mouse fibbed. "So if it's not too much trouble..."

"Of course you can stay here tonight. Come in, come in." Patricia invited. Happy followed after Mickey inside the farmhouse. After politely enduring the introductions of Patricia Pigg, her equally overweight husband Percy, and their many piglets, Happy excused himself.

"Weeeellll..." Happy yawned exaggeratedly. "I think I'll turn in for the night early." The rabbit turned for the stairs to find the guest bedroom Patricia said he and Mickey could share.

"Don't be rude." Mickey muttered just loud enough for Happy to hear.

"Where I come from, a guest falling asleep on his host's shoulder _is_ rude." Happy loudly retaliated. "Goodnight folks." The rabbit saluted, before rushing upstairs. Hours later, Mickey climbed the same stairs. The piglets were in bed, and the mouse had a wonderful visit with Patricia and Percy. He reached the guest room, and tiredly pushed the door open. The rabbit in the twin bed on the far side of the room took him by surprise. Not Happy Rabbit, but Bugs Bunny laid on his back, reading a book by the light of the bedside lamp. Mickey shut the door hastily behind him.

"Why did you do that?" Mickey demanded. Bugs glanced up from his book.

"Being a screwball all day really takes a lot outta little ol' me. Besides I'm a much handsomer rabbit in grey than in white." Bugs replied.

"Not that. I mean downstairs." Mickey grumbled. The mouse climbed up on his own twin bed, and looked Bugs in the eye. "You were rude to my friends." Bugs slammed the hardcover book shut.

"I was tired." Bugs stated.

"Then why aren't you sleeping?" Mickey questioned. Bugs could give no response. "You avoided them. Is it because you don't like black and white toons?" The mouse lectured.

"I got nothin' against inkblots! It's Two Tone Town dat gets me tail in a bunch!" Bugs confessed. Mickey blinked at the rabbit. "I s'pose ya wanna know why." Bugs guessed. "Alright Doc. I'll tell ya. But I'll only tell ya once."


	20. The Castaway Before Dark Part 1

"Foist I was drawn; which goes wit'out sayin'. Th' foist few months of my life, was mostly spent takin' lessons from animators and senior toons who were willing to teach me how ta be a toon before my foist big picture." Bugs narrated. Casually, Bugs threw the book he'd been reading, on the floor. The rabbit shifted his hands behind his head, and wiggled his toes under the covers. His eyes stared distantly through the ceiling into his memories. "But dat's a boring story. So I'll skip ahead to where Two Tone Town comes inta play." Bugs continued. "I starred in me foist cartoon, Porky's Hare Hunt in nineteen thoidy-eight, and everyt'ing was fine. Except when th' woik day was ovah, and I had ta go home ta my humble hole in th' ground in Two Tone Town. It was a nice place ta live; fresh air, quiet neighbors. However, bein' dat it was on Two Tone Town soil, th' hole and everyt'ing in it was grey. Prior to my debut on screen, I had plenty of experience in th' human woild, and I'd seen my fair share of colored cartoons. I knew I was missin' out on somet'ing. So one night, when I was sittin' alone in my grey room, I decided I was gonna be in Technicolor cartoons from then on. And as soon as I starred in my own colored cartoon, dat would be my ticket outta Two Tone Town.

I went back ta Warner Brothers th' next day, and ya know what th' writers told me? Dey didn't need me, and dey'd call when dey needed a background rabbit. So I went to J.B., me own creator, and I told 'im I wanted ta act. I wanted anotha cartoon. But J.B. had his hands tied wit' otha projects at de time. So he sent me off to da next guy." Bugs paused his story, when he saw Mickey's sad face. It portrayed concern and disbelief. The rabbit smirked. "Well what didja expect? We can't all have de poifect creator ta raise us in his poifect All-American human family." Bugs remarked. "Anyway, afta t'ree more people told me ta get a day job in Two Tone Town, I finally bumped inta someone who could help. My best pal, and da man I'd known most of my animated life; Mel Blanc. He gave me da best advice I coulda hoid all day. Go straight to da boss. So I marched inta Leon's office, and demanded I get my own series of colored cartoons."

"And did he give it to ya?" Mickey quiried.

"He gave me a fake smile and said I was funny, but I was no Porky Pig or Daffy Duck." Bugs deadpanned. "Den began my long pursuit of gettin' inta colored cartoons. For the next seven weeks I came back to Leon, asking only him for a colored cartoon. See dis was Mel's idea too. Did ya know he asked for an audition at Warner Brothers for two years before someone listened to him? And it was durin' dat time I orned a new name." Bugs sat up on the bed, to talk more vividly with his hands. "At foist people would see me comin' and warn Leon..." Bugs curled his ears up in a bun hairstyle, and spoke in a feminine voice. "Mr. Schlesinger, Ben Hardaway's bunny is here to see you." Then Bugs moved his ears over his face like a large handlebar mustache, growling "Boss, Bugs Hardaway's bunny's back again." Finally Bugs' ears flapped behind his head as he tied a red bowtie around his neck, pulled a blue coat over his arms, and did his best Porky impression. "M-meh-meh-Mister Schle-les-les-uh Leon... B-ba-Benjamin Har-harda-de-uh-da-da...oh brother! Bugs' Bunny is here!" The rabbit discarded the costume, satisfied that his performance made Mickey chuckle. "I finally got t'rough to Leon dat I had what it took ta be a reoccurrin' character, even a star. One year later, I starred in me foist colored cartoon Prest-O Change-O, and finally had da hues ta live a respectable life outside Two Tone Town. You shoulda seen me, bouncin' off the walls when I foist saw my new face. I had peach colored pigment in me ears, around me mouth, and my tongue was all pink. As if dis wasn't a good enough... oh you shoulda seen me when dey gave me yellow gloves." The rabbit rambled. "And just before 'A Wild Hare' when de boys put der' heads tagethah ta mold me inta da poifect T.V. poirsonality. Dat was really somethin'. It was hard seein' J.B. leave da studio dat same year. But Tex, Chuck, Friz, Bob, Mel, Warren, Ted, Mike..." The rabbit's ears slowly drooped as he listed off the names. The last three had died within the past twelve years. Bugs laid back down on the bed with his arms crossed. "Well I could go on but de point is dey all adopted me at some point." He moped.

"Bugs, not that this isn't really interesting..." Mickey interrupted. "But what does this have to do with you hating Two Tone Town?" Bugs narrowed his eyes at the mouse, as if he'd already stated the obvious answer.

"When I started askin' for a colored cartoon, woid got out fast dat I didn't wanna live in Two Tone Town. And I wasn't afraid ta confoim dat fact. Well th' inkblot residents didn't take too kindly to dat. Oh, sure Porky and Daffy could jump between Technicolor and black and white all dey wanted. Everyone loved 'em no mattah what they did, because they was big stars." Bugs complained. "But when Happy Rabbit, a nobody, said he wanted ta leave th' two-tone life, inkblot folks came from all around just ta kick his little cotton tail." The rabbit watched as the severity of his past sank into Mickey's mind. "Almost every day for a whole year I got mugged on de way ta Warner Brothers studio. I always had a trick ta outsmart th' palooka gorillas dat did more den t'row food at me. But runnin' for me life on th' way ta woik ev'ryday was no life ta live; especially for a yearling toon." Mickey nodded to that. He couldn't imagine one of his own kids experiencing what Bugs described. "I haven't been back ta dis toon trappin' pit since." Bugs stated solemnly. "Now dat I've killed twenty minutes of your time, I'd like ta go to sleep n' forget I ever mentioned dat story." He mumbled, yanking the covers over his head, only to blindly reach out to the bedside lamp and turn it off. Mickey breathed a heavy sigh, slipping into his own bed.

"Goodnight Bugs." He bid the darkness.

March 4, 1956

It shouldn't have been a memorable date for Bugs Bunny. The date marked approximately eight years and four months since Bugs had made an enemy of Mickey Mouse. But that was nothing special. Bugs blew off his steam that night in front of the mouse and had hardly thought of the moment since. However the early spring date became an unforgettable one from the moment Bugs read the paper's headlines. **TOON KRYPTONITE DESTRIBUTERS IN CUSTODY - Weasels Caught Dip-Handed.** Bugs shook his head. Did anyone actually believe this tripe? Out of curiosity, Bugs went on to read the whole article. Apparently seven toon weasels were arrested for smuggling a substance called Dip into Toontown. The weasels were animated to be villains in Walt Disney's animated picture, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. in 1949. Thus it was only logical for the entire state of California to go on a witch hunt after all weasel toons and attack Disney in general. Bugs folded up the paper, and set it aside on his kitchen table. 'What a load of baloney! What balderdash!' Bugs thought. The papers had it all wrong. There was no such thing as Dip. Toons had no kryptonite. All alleged toon deaths via Dip that were reported in the past months, were rumors gone wild. It was obvious to Bugs what really happened to the long list of toons who were reportedly Dipped. They were all in hiding. The whole Dip scare was some wise guy's idea of a prank, and he got two dozen of his friends to 'die' and play along. Bugs knew none of the names in the papers were actually dead. Toons just didn't die. No, all of the Dip 'victims' were probably cooped up in a warehouse somewhere, having a drink and a good laugh at all the scared toons and humans actually believing this ridiculous idea. Besides the papers had no cold bodies or evidence to prove otherwise.

Bugs opened his fridge to rummage around for breakfast. His choice was a plate of carrot muffins. The rabbit peeled back the plastic wrap on the plate, selected a muffin, and shoved it into his mouth. For once Bugs' delicate inner sense of danger failed him. Suddenly Bugs' tongue felt as if it had been bitten by a dragon. The muscle burned and sizzled as something ripped it open. Panicking, Bugs spat out the poisoned muffin, but his tongue still felt under attack. The rabbit involuntarily touched his tongue to his inner cheeks, making the burning sensation spread all around his mouth. A chemical aroma puffed out of his mouth. Bugs' head was spinning. He could do nothing but focus on that chemical. It tore his gums open, mixing into Bugs' own black ink that gushed into his mouth. Bugs frantically looked for something to cure him of this poison. He dashed to the kitchen sink, stuck his head under the faucet, and blasted his tongue with cold water. The stinging pain became a dull soreness. Bugs quickly spat out all the liquid in his mouth, washing it down the drain. His ears hung over his face tiredly. The rabbit inhaled deep breaths before gradually turning his head back towards the mess of a half chewed muffin on the floor. He couldn't believe it, but it happened before his very eyes. The toon bakery made muffin was melting into a brown pile of goo.

"Dat'sh nah moald." Bugs worried. His ears perked up when Bugs heard he couldn't pronounce a simple sentence the way he usually did. He summoned a mirror from his hammerspace, and opened his mouth wide. "Ahh!" Bugs cried. The rabbit couldn't contain his shock. His teeth were jagged and in some places missing. And his inner cheeks still seeped ink from open wounds. The same could be said for his tongue; or what was left of it. Bugs' already pounding heart pulsed faster. What was he going to do? He needed a doctor. No, an animator! Someone at the studio could paint over his mouth with some new ink, and he'd be good as new right? Theoretically they could fix him, _right_?! The walls seemed to come crashing down on Bugs. Everything he thought he knew about Dip was wrong. Toons were no longer indestructible. Whoever had this Dip was indeed a real threat to toons... and Bugs Bunny was his latest target. The rabbit clenched his fists, getting a hold of his nerves. He wouldn't take this lying down! 'Dis means war, don't it?!' Bugs motivated himself. 'I'll moider dose weasels!' He swore. 'And dat mouse!'

December 18, 1983 4:30 am.

The grey rabbit woke with a severe earache. He heard not a ringing, but a sloshing sound echoing inside his left ear. Bugs leaned his head over the left side of the bed, and patted the base of his right ear. Nothing changed. Something watery still clogged up his left ear. Bugs stretched his arms and ears out before hopping out of bed. He'd go to the bathroom and see if he had anything lodged in his ear. After all with the size of his ears, he could have a rock stuck in there for all he knew. The rabbit tiptoed across the pitch black room, and twisted the doorknob as quietly as possible. He sneaked out of the bedroom without waking his roommate. Half a second later, Bug realized his mistake. He couldn't go prowling around the Pigg's house as Bugs Bunny, when they invited in Happy Rabbit. The rabbit swiftly shrank down to his black and white form. However the transformation made his ear hurt even worse. Happy let his left ear droop against the side of his face, so he could rub it tenderly. The white rabbit located the bathroom two doors down. He must have spent eight minutes looking in his ear, trying to dig out whatever pained him. Happy fished around, shoving half his fist in his ear. Finally he touched the foreign object. It felt smooth, and maybe square shaped? The rabbit slowly removed the strange object, wincing as the object pressed on his ear's inner walls. Whatever the thing was, it came out with a loud 'pop'. Happy flicked both his ears straight up, feeling so relieved that pressure was removed. Now concerning the strange object. Happy lifted his arm to examine the object in front of his face as well as it's reflection in the mirror. 'An inkwell?' Happy pondered. 'How did it get in th-' He stopped himself, suddenly recalling what happened the day before. During his showdown against the wrath of Ortensia Cat, the dame threw several projectiles at him. He never imagined one would become stuck between his ears. Happy raised his eyebrows when he read the masking tape label on the inkwell's side. 'This could be a helpful clue.' He considered. Happy sprang back to the guest room, flipping the light switch on.

"Wake up, Friend Owl!" The rabbit yelled. Mickey hardly opened his eyes, before the white rabbit pounced on the mouse's bed. The mouse scrambled out from under the rabbit, who used the foot of the bed as a trampoline.

"W-what are you doing?" Mickey moaned.

"I was gonna do the 'Wake up, Sleeping Beauty' line. But you hear that one all the time, don't you?" Happy snickered. "Look what I found." The rabbit offered the inkwell to Mickey. Anxiety gripped Mickey's chest. He snatched the inkwell from Happy. Just as Mickey suspected, the square glass container was manufactured by humans, and held black ink up to the brim. A name was written on the stretch of tape. It read **O.R. Junior**.

"Bugs, what on Earth were you thinking! You can't play around with things like this! Where did you take it from?!" Mickey chastised. Happy spun into his current identity, and plopped down on the bed.

"Listen Doc. I didn't take dat from no one." Bugs defended. "That cat from Two Tone Hell t'rew it at my head. I just now loosened it outta me ear." Mickey sheepishly glanced away. "What is it anyway, Mouse?" Bugs asked seriously. Mickey bowed his head.

"It's an old inkblot tradition." Mickey explained. "Back in the '20's, if a toon wanted an offspring, they'd ask a human to animate them one."

"Like today." Bugs droned. This process wasn't news to him. He'd even experienced it first hand when he requested that the role young Bugs Bunny in 'Portrait of the Artist as a Young Bunny' be played by his own son.

"But the tradition goes like this." Mickey continued. "The inkblot couple would pick out a full brand new inkwell, add some of their own ink, write the baby's name on the inkwell, and set it in the window. It was a friendly tell-tale to neighbors that the stork was coming." The mouse paused. "I haven't seen these since the late '30's. To think someone's been waiting all this time..." Mickey's expression slowly fell grim. His heart mourned for Ortensia. She held onto her unanimated child all these decades, probably begging animator after animator to give her child life. "Bugs, this isn't a baby shower invitation anymore. It's an urn." Mickey lamented.

"Yeah, 'cause who wants ta animate an inkblot nowadays?" Bugs understood. Mickey sighed, placing the inkwell between the two of them.

"That's so tragic." Mickey whispered. Bugs tilted his head.

"O-R?" He read off the inkwell.

"Probably the father's initials." Mickey assumed. For some reason that struck a nerve to Mickey. "We should return it to Ortensia in the morning." The mouse declared.

"Already morning, Doc." Bugs pointed out. "Wanna get an early start?" The Looney Tune suggested. Mickey nodded.

"Yeah. Let's go."

The two toons set off on their adventure once more; after Mickey politely left a note, thanking Patricia and Percy for their hospitality. On their way back to the city, the rabbit showed keen interest in little O.R. Junior. Mickey caught him staring intently at the inkwell whilst the mouse gently swung it back and forth as he walked.

"Maybe you should let me hold onto him." Happy suggested at one point. Mickey stared at Happy oddly. Did he just call the tiny jar of ink 'him'? "C'mon chum. I know he's important to someone. I won't drop him." Happy pled. "And besides, I saw him first!" The rabbit asserted. Mickey handed the inkwell over to the white rabbit. He decided he had no excuse to deny Happy the inkwell, though he almost wished he had one. 'What could possibly go wrong?' Mickey dreaded. Later that morning, Happy and Mickey returned to 1800 Alice Ave. But when they approached the house, the door was ajar. Mickey dared to push the door open, and invite himself inside.

"What are ya doin', Mouse?" Happy objected.

"Something's not right." Mickey sensed. His first sight of the living room proved something was indeed wrong. The room was completely bare. Light grey rectangles on the carpet marked where furniture used to be. Mickey and Happy stealthily crept into the house. Further investigation showed the kitchen and bedrooms were totally cleaned out. If they hadn't visited yesterday, they never would have guessed anyone had lived in the house just one day ago. Mickey and Happy noticed no For Sale signs in the yard. How could someone pack up a house's fill of belongings, and unpremeditatedly disappear? Happy returned from his scouting of the backside of the house.

"I found two bedrooms, both absolutely empty. One looked like it used to have two beds on either side." The rabbit reported; his right hand pointing left and his left hand pointing right. "I think she used ta have kids." Happy deduced. Mickey nodded.

"Yeah, I remember she warned us to stay away from her sons." Mickey recalled. His shoulders slumped forward, his tail dragged in the carpet, and his optimistic, kind-hearted demeanor flipped into dull despondency. Happy watched the mouse drag his feet towards the open door. Outside, the rabbit carefully approached.

"So, uh... what's eatin' ya, bub?" Happy questioned. Mickey suddenly clenched his fists in rage.

"It's that cat! We went through all that trouble to find her, and now she's gone! Moved away! Skipped town! Where ever she is now, she's probably got a new name that we'll never be able to track! And we'll never see her again!" Mickey exploded.

"Easy. Easy. Maybe she's not worth our time. Maybe she doesn't know anything about the treasure anyway." Happy comforted.

"She knows." Mickey bit. "She was animated for Disney Brothers Studio. She said I ruined her husband's life _fifty-five_ years ago. She knows what happened in 1928! You said it yourself. She's hiding something!" The mouse vented. "Now we'll never find the treasure in time, because we'll never find Sadie again before Christmas Eve." Happy brought a carrot out of his hammerspace, and snacked on it whilst he pondered a response.

"Okay." Happy started with a mouthful. "So we figure this out without her." He compromised. Mickey sat down on the paved walkway in defeat.

"You don't get it. In the first clue, Walt strictly said not to start one clue before finishing the previous one." Mickey grumbled. Happy sat down beside him.

"Hmm... Lemme see the snow globe." Happy commanded. Mickey reached behind his back, and set the snow globe between them. Happy pretended to analyze it, before grabbing Mickey's hand, and sticking his thumb to the glass. Snowflakes spiraled out of the contact point, swirling into the raging blizzard around the globe.

"Happy!" Mickey exclaimed.

"Gotcha! Hur-hur-hur-HA-huh! Hur-hur-hur-HA-huh!" The rabbit laughed. Mickey lightly punched Happy in the side to silence him.

"My son, you must have realized by now that this was not a journey I intended to take in my lifetime. The voice you've been receiving instructions from all this time is not speaking to you from beyond the grave. The date is September 1, 1966. I've been recording messages for you in random order, and organizing clues with trusted cohorts over the phone for weeks now. I want you to understand that no matter what separates us, I will always be with you. If my body doesn't stand beside you, my heart will take its place. My heart is always with you, just as yours and another's are equally and eternally with me. With that said, this clue has been... revised. With all this talk about lions, where do you expect to see them? At the circus, maybe? How many elephants can ride bicycles and fly with a flap of their ears? Only Dumbo of course. That is who you were meant to seek out. However, this year I met another pachyderm who I deemed wise enough to keep the secret code. The next code is 020628. Again, don't feed the lions."

The white snowflakes dimmed into a grey fog. A black jagged blot grew in the upper left corner, while extremely thin lines illustrated the rest of the picture. The snow globe painted a picture from Mickey's cartoon, The Castaway (1931); a picture which literally showed a massive male lion chasing little Mickey. Happy smirked, thinking back to Mickey trying to pass off Mortimer Mouse as irrelevant to the clue.

"I think this picture matches what the clue says, don't you?" He chided.


	21. The Castaway Before Dark Part 2

Mickey heard Happy's laughter. Although it seemed very far away. Mickey's mind was not with his body, sitting in front of Ortensia's abandoned house. It curled in on itself, and recounted Walt's words to Mickey as if reading a good book. Mickey's heart swelled at the words 'If my body does not stand beside you, my heart will take its place'. He couldn't stand to be mad at Walt any longer. Yes, Walt owned up to planning the quest for a time after he was gone. No, he didn't give a reason for deceiving Mickey. But the mouse didn't care. This clue was a testament of Walt's love for his only son; a love that even surpassed the man's love for his wife. A hint of confusion and doubt hovered over Mickey's inner thoughts. 'My heart is always with you, just as yours and another's are equally and eternally with me.' Walt also said. Mickey didn't understand. He couldn't be referring to Lillian. Besides, Lillian didn't want Walt to say goodbye to her like this. The doubt slowly wrapped around Mickey, and pulled him back to the cold reality outside his safe and warm subconscious. 'Who?' The mouse wondered. 'Who could hold a place in Walt's heart... equal to me?'

"Hey, Mouse! Hello in there?" Happy called directly into Mickey's ear. The mouse's eyes broke from their empty dazed look. Instinctively, Mickey grabbed his ears, and ducked away from Happy. "Gee wiz. You've gotta stop zoning out like that." The rabbit reprimanded. Mickey frowned. Memories of previous events were coming back to him.

"Hmph. What I need to do is stop keying in codes in advance." Mickey stated bitterly. Happy folded his arms.

"Well you know I was only tryin' ta help." Happy pouted. "We both know that cat's split, and I said we don't need her. But you weren't budgin'." The rabbit rattled off.

"I know, Happy." Mickey stopped him. "I'm sorry I yelled at'cha earlier. I just got caught up in going by the book... Or snow globe, to find the treasure. On top of that I'm on edge from all the ghosts, riddles, and the Dip." Mickey breathed a heavy sigh. "I just need to stay focused on the reason Walt gave me the snow globe. He loves me, and trusted me to get the family treasure back." Mickey allowed himself to smile.

"So you're not mad at me?" Happy questioned.

"No." Mickey answered. "You were right anyway. We have to move on without Ortensia."

"Great!" Happy cheered. "No time to dilly-dally! We're off to the circus! The bright, dazzling, Technicolor circus!" He jumped up, twisting his right foot into a spiral. The rabbit hobbled backwards a few steps, ready to kick Ortensia's house's door, and spring off it a super toon speed.

"Hold it!" Mickey squeaked. Happy's foot unwound, making him lose his balance and propel face first into the paved walkway. He lifted his glowering face towards Mickey. The Disney toon stood up.

"I think we should listen to the clue a second time. Some things I heard just don't add up." Mickey reasoned. Happy groaned as he pushed his chest off the pavement.

"We can listen to it on the way, can't we?" Happy negotiated. Mickey shook his head. Not waiting for Happy's compliance, Mickey picked up the snow globe, and replayed the clue.

"My son, you must have realized by now that this was not a journey I intended to take in my lifetime. The voice you've been receiving instructions from all this time is not speaking to you from beyond the grave. The date is September 1, 1966. I've been recording messages for you in random order, and organizing clues with trusted cohorts over the phone for weeks now. I want you to understand that no matter what separates us, I will always be with you. If my body doesn't stand beside you, my heart will take its place. My heart is always with you, just as yours and another's are equally and eternally with me. With that said, this clue has been... revised. With all this talk about lions, where do you expect to see them? At the circus, maybe? How many elephants can ride bicycles and fly with a flap of their ears? Only Dumbo of course. That is who you were meant to seek out. However, this year I met another pachyderm who I deemed wise enough to keep the secret code. The next code is 020628. Again, don't feed the lions."

"Don't feed the lions. Who woulda thought your dad was such a wisecracker." Happy smirked, still getting a kick out of the black and white image of Mickey being chased by a lion.

"He said that phrase before. I didn't think anything of it, because it didn't fit with the rest of the clue. I figured it didn't mean anything." Mickey remembered.

"What was the clue?" Happy asked.

"The one that told me to find you. In a nutshell he said 'Cross the boundaries, and when you find the wise guy don't invite him back to Disneyland'." Mickey summarized. Happy rolled his eyes.

"Typical." The rabbit huffed. "C'mon. Maybe Dumbo's mom will know what it means." He suggested. Happy took a stride towards the street, but Mickey bolted in front of him.

"Happy! We're not ready yet! There's more to consider." Mickey proclaimed. Happy's eyes flashed bloodshot red for a second as he gripped Mickey's shoulders.

"Aw, c'mon Mouse! I'm going batty in this black and white town! Stir-crazy! Paranoid!" Happy screamed. "I gotta eat an orange carrot and know whether it's ripe or molding. I gotta see the blue sky and know whether it's clear or smoggy. I gotta smell the flowers and know which ones are daisies and which ones aren't! And above all, I gotta interact with the public and not worry someone's gonna recognize Happy! Do ya understand what I'm tellin' ya, Mouse!?"

"Okay! Okay!" Mickey surrendered. "We're leaving." Happy shakily let go of Mickey. The mouse stowed away the snow globe in his hammerspace as he made his way down the empty street. Happy skipped a few strides ahead of Mickey, trying to quicken their departure from Two Tone Town. But the mouse leisurely took his time. He knew Happy couldn't remember the way out of Two Tone Town, and if he did know the rabbit would be off like a rocket. Thus Mickey kept Happy irritably hovering close by his side, so Happy would hear him out about the clue. "Like I was saying, I don't think we're supposed to go to the circus. If Walt was following a pattern with the Alice Comedies dates, maybe this cartoon had something to do with the circus, but Walt had to change the clue for some reason. He had to deviate from the pattern." Mickey thought out loud.

"What are ya talking about? Of course we're going to the circus." Happy nagged. "Walt said we're looking for an elephant."

"But he also said the clue was _revised_." Mickey emphasized. "We're not supposed to look for Dumbo anymore."

"Dumbo's not the only pachyderm under the tent, pea brain." Happy mocked sarcastically, knocking Mickey on the head with his knuckles. Mickey shook away. He was really beginning to miss the more self controlled Bugs Bunny.

"If you'd just listen and stop thinking about yourself..." Mickey gritted through his teeth. Happy's skipping fell out of rhythm. He slowed to walk beside Mickey. "Walt gave us the date he recorded that message; September 4th, 1966. He said he met another elephant that year." The mouse explained. Happy bowed his head. He finally used his brains, and understood Mickey's point. Being somewhat of a split personality of Bugs Bunny, Happy knew the early 1940's were nostalgic to Bugs. One of those nostalgic moments of the '40's was Walt Disney's Dumbo. The white rabbit remembered well that he watched the rival studio's movie in 1941; definitely not 1966.

"The great Walt Disney, friend to all toons, wouldn't wait that long to meet all five elephants from Dumbo. I got it." Happy sighed.

"Exactly." Mickey nodded. "All we have to do is find the elephant Walt met for the first time that year."

"Any suspects?" Happy asked. The mouse was quiet for some time.

"Eight actually. The Jungle Book was in production that year. Walt probably chose an elephant from Colonel Hathi's herd." Mickey realized. "But now that I think about it, I have a pretty good hunch which wise elephant Walt chose to keep a secret better than Dumbo." The mouse pondered.

"How'dya keep a secret better than a toon who can't talk?" Happy inquired.

"I don't know. But Colonel Hathi sure doesn't fit the profile." Mickey joked. Happy agreed, laughing with him.

The town clock tower struck six when Mickey and Happy left the gates of Two Tone Town. Free once more, the white rabbit dove face first into a snowbank, and wiggled out as a grey bunny. Bugs reclined in the snowbank, not minding the cold at all. While Bugs graciously appreciated being himself again, black and white dot-eyed Mickey faced Two Tone Town. Something told him he wouldn't see the original Toontown again for a long time. How long would it be until next time? Thirty years? Fifty years? He hesitated to turn his back and leave Two Tone Town behind. In the '40's, Mickey had traveled to and from Two Tone Town a lot; always leaving a piece of himself behind that he would pick up again, the next time he came. But this time in 1983, was the first time he had to leave Walt's voice behind. The mouse had learned from the past day in Two Tone Town that Walt's voice hadn't left him even after his death, and Mickey was grateful for that. He had that piece of Walt which was also a piece of himself that he could hold onto forever. Still the voice belonged to the mouse's inkblot self, which belonged in Two Tone Town. Mickey closed his eyes, and let his ears be fooled by his imagination. He let himself believe.

"Don't worry. I'll come back. I promise... So long, partner."

When Mickey opened his eyes, he noticed his view of the gates adjusted. He stood a few inches taller. Then Mickey looked down for the true test. His shoes were yellow, shorts were red, and his hands were gloved. He didn't bother looking up at Two Tone Town again, and turned on his heel before lifting his head. The mouse, newly restored in color, met eyes with Bugs who watched him curiously.

"You ready ta go?" Bugs queried. Mickey smiled and nodded. That was the Bugs Bunny Mickey knew; still a wise guy but unlike Happy, Bugs knew when a situation didn't call for a laugh. Such as in this case, Bugs spoke no insult or jest of Mickey talking to himself. He simply stood back, minding Mickey's bond to Walt.

"I am. But if ya don't mind..." Mickey started, tossing a portable hole in the snow. "Let's travel my way this time." The rabbit shrugged.

"Sure, why not." Bugs complied. His leg stretched toward the portable hole, but just before he could fall in, Mickey added.

"Feeling any better, Happy?" Bugs' leg and arms cringed. He stumbled backwards as if something tried to bite him. In an instant Bugs hid his embarrassment with annoyance. He stomped right over the black hole, but did not fall.

"Listen Mac. Don't ever, and I mean _ever_ say dat name around me again! Ya got it?!" The rabbit intimidated, jabbing his index finger into Mickey's chest. A little perplexed by Bugs' reaction, Mickey slowly nodded. Soon the rabbit eased off, and let himself be sucked down the portable hole. Mickey cannonballed in after him. The toons landed on their feet in a field of dried yellow grass. Snow packed between every prickly grass blade. The field was only a small clearing in the middle of a lush, green jungle. Mickey surveyed their surroundings. He detected no elephant footprints in the snow.

"It's still early in the morning. They'll pass through here soon." Mickey stated. As if on cue, an elephant's trumpet shattered the sound barrier. Then the ground began to shake in a steady rhythm. To the toons' right, Colonel Hathi's herd came into view, flattening the small shrubs and trees that stood in their way. The enormous elephants paraded by single file, reciting their marching song without batting an eyelid in Mickey and Bugs' direction.

"So how do you suppose we get der' attention?" Bugs questioned.

"Well, there is one easy way. But I don't think they'll hear me." Mickey said as a matter of fact. Bugs got the hint.

"Alright. Lemme show ya how it's done. And remember it's all in the chest voice." The coached, before dashing ahead of the herd. Since Bugs' voice actor was none other than Mel Blanc: The Man With a Thousand Voices, he too had developed a wide vocal range. Taking his position directly in front of Hathi, Bugs isolated Mel's voice from his own inside him, and bellowed a throaty holler which sounded much more like Sylvester than himself.

"HAAAAALT!"

Instantly the train of elephants became a train wreck. One by one the elephants lurched forward, and crashed into each other. Trunks and tusks jammed into tails and feet tangled over other feet. Seven pachyderm fender benders later, a baby elephant with a full head of brown hair sprinted to the front. Luckily the little one was completely unharmed. Meanwhile the dazed colonel tried to figure out just what happened.

"Gee, Pop. What happened?" The little elephant gasped. Hathi sputtered for a second.

"Ah-ehm! Well obviously son, it was mutiny! And I'll have no such thing in my herd!" Hathi shouted. "Company! Fall in!" The elephants tumbled into a straight. Hathi Jr. fell into ranks beside his mother. The colonel stalked down the line. "Alright, let's get on with it! Who's trying to take command? Who said 'Halt'? Speak up!"

"I said 'Halt'!" Bugs announced. He hadn't moved an inch from his spot. Hathi turned on a dime, and charged towards Bugs. The rabbit held his ground, knowing the colonel would rather drill him than squish him. Hathi pressed his trunk down on Bugs' chest, almost making him fall backwards.

"What's the meaning of this soldier?! Taking over my command! Disrespecting your commanding officer! Why, it's mutiny, treason, and a mockery of the elephant way!" Hathi blasted.

"Den it's a good t'ing I ain't an elephant." Bugs countered. Hathi blinked incredulously. "No, Doc. I'm a monkey." The rabbit teased. He hunched over, balancing on his toes and knuckles, and hobbled around Hathi's feet, chattering like a chimp. Mickey rushed in before Bugs could get underfoot.

"Colonel, wait. He's with me." Mickey defended. Still keeping up the monkey act, Bugs hurtled over Hathi's raised trunk like a jungle gym bar, and uttered a loud 'Ooh-Ah-Ah!'.

"Oh, yes." Hathi muttered unenthusiastically. If there was one thing Colonel Hathi couldn't stand, it was taking orders from a mouse. "So you're the one letting this miscreant run amuck in my jungle?"

"I'm sorry he bothered you. It won't happen again." Mickey apologized. Bugs wandered behind Mickey to prove his point. "We're only here to ask you a favor."

"A favor, ha! How droll." Hathi puffed. 'Because I'm a mouse.' Mickey thought. But he held his tongue.

"Please, Colonel Hathi. It will only take a moment of your time. We just need to speak with someone in your herd." Mickey begged.

"Nonsense. We've a busy schedule to keep and must be on our way. Company!" Hathi decided. Suddenly Mickey grabbed the snow globe from his hammerspace, and displayed it over his head for all the elephants to see.

"Hold it!" One elephant cut off Hathi's order. It was Winifred, the colonel's wife. She shot her husband a furious glare, and flapped her ears against her head aggressively; a sign of dominance that Hathi dared not challenge. Winifred stepped forward from the ranks. She stretched out her trunk to brush the snow globe gently. Mickey froze, letting the elderly pachyderm examine the snow globe. When she lifted her trunk away, Mickey noticed her smile.

"You two may come with me." Winifred invited kindly. Mickey breathed a sigh of relief. His hunch was correct. Winifred truly was the wisest of the Jungle Patrol. This time she offered her trunk to carry Mickey and Bugs up onto her back. But Hathi wouldn't let that be.

"Winifred, what on Earth are you..." Hathi started. But Winifred was already walking away from the herd.

"Save that tone of voice for your _men,_ Colonel." Winifred shrugged off, taking her own path into the jungle. The scenery completely changed to the mouse and rabbit. The green flora closed in around them. Tri-leaved ferns poked out on the beaten jungle trail. Mickey and Bugs ducked their heads under thin tree branches supporting heavy loads of snow. On the ground, the snow quickly turned to mud and slush. Under several layers of leaf canopies, the whole jungle clicked with the drip-dropping sound of melting snow.

"Thanks for standing up for us back there, Winifred." Mickey thanked.

"Dear, it's exactly what Walt wanted me to do. Think nothing of it." The elephant commented.

"So where are we going?" Mickey questioned.

"Somewhere you can hear the forthcoming clue and understand the meaning of it. Walt made sure this clue would not be a riddle, and you would hold all the pieces you need at once." Winifred answered.

"Sounds swell." The mouse said.


	22. The Ol' Unknown

Winifred the elephant carried Mickey and Bugs on her back for quite some time, and as time dragged on Mickey began to experience the toll of waking up at four in the morning. His eyelids felt heavy. The strain to keep them open gave him a headache. A distant sound of a running stream and Winifred's steady pace almost lulled the mouse to sleep. Mickey tiredly looked over his shoulder to see how Bugs was fairing. Unlike Mickey, Bugs had taken advantage of the peaceful atmosphere a lot sooner than Mickey had thought to. The rabbit laid on his stomach with his ankles crossed over each other, and his wrists propped under his temple like a pillow. Mickey shook his head at the sight. He should have known Bugs was being too quiet back there. All the more tempted to doze off, Mickey shut his eyes. Maybe he could get just a few minutes of rest. Suddenly a shrill scream pierced the air, followed by Winifred's frightened trumpeting. Mickey's eyes opened just in time to see the elephant's head and trunk raise up. She dodged the attack of her unseen assailant by rearing back on two legs. Mickey and Bugs were thrown off the elephant's back into the slush. Bugs, who was rudely awoken from his slumber, cried out first.

"What in the Sam Hill was that?!" Mickey wiped the mud from his eyes, to see the attacker. It was a familiar face. One of Chernabog's red scaled demons hunched over in front of Winifred. It hissed, blowing droplets of blood off its fangs. Mickey pushed himself up, and took a fighting stance. He defeated the creatures with water before, and he would do it again. Just as the demon leapt off the ground, Mickey charged at it with his magic robe materializing around him. The mouse would hit the demon in mid air with a water blast. But Chernabog's minion foresaw Mickey's attack, and engulfed itself in flames. Mickey launched the water blast from his hands, but the airborne fire split in two before the water could make contact. One bolt of fire hit the dirt, and encircled Winifred in man's red flower. The other bolt retained it's devilish form, and tackled Mickey. It pinned Mickey down in the wet jungle mud by his arms and legs. The blazing heat emanating from the demon was unbearable. Mickey tried to fight the creature off before he could be cooked alive, but the more he struggled, the hotter the flames grew. As the demon became stronger, the magic in Mickey's robe weakened. It no longer possessed the power to protect Mickey from this outside magical source. Suddenly the robe's sleeves caught fire. Now Mickey was truly losing his mind in a panic. Poor Winifred's trumpeting reached a deafening volume. He couldn't move, couldn't fight. His robe, his sacred sorcerer's apprentice robe would be burnt down to a holey black rag, then his fur would burn, then his skin. Mickey stretched his neck away from the yellow slit eyes glowering down on him. To his left, he spotted the snow globe, lying on its side in a puddle. Unfortunately the demon followed Mickey's line of sight, and spotted the snow globe as well. The red creature abandoned the mouse, and scurried after the snow globe.

"No! Stop!" Mickey shouted. Suddenly a gust of cold mist hit Mickey's backside. He rolled away from it as if it were an attack. Thankfully it was Bugs coming to his rescue. The rabbit sporting a red fire helmet, aimed his fire extinguisher nozzle, and doused the mouse in white foam. Next he dove for the demon. The flaming monster took the snow globe in its claws, triumphantly raising it over its head. But Bugs was on him in an instant. He sprayed a white cloud over the demon, before jumping into the cloud himself. Rabbit and demon duked it out in a blind fury. Mickey observed the brawl just a few feet away. From the extinguisher's blowing, the creature's screeching, and the occasional gloved fist flying out of the cloud, it was no secret that Bugs was winning. Soon the white cloud faded, as did the extinguisher's sound. When the scene was clear, a foam covered Bugs Bunny could be seen resourcefully beating the defeated monster over its head with the empty extinguisher.

"Take that! And that! And another one!" Bugs yelled. In a sudden 'poof', the demon decomposed into lifeless dust. Bugs stood at full height, brushing the foam off his fur. Mickey smiled thankfully to Bugs. The rabbit playfully tipped his helmet.

"That was very brave of you two." Winifred complimented, approaching Mickey. She hoisted him to his feet with her trunk.

"Thanks. Are you alright?" Mickey asked.

"Yes, Mickey. Not a scratch on me, thanks to you and your friend." The wise elephant replied. Mickey noticed Bugs' handiwork behind her. The ground was littered with small white puffs. Mickey turned back to Bugs, preparing to give further thanks, but the mouse held his tongue. Something about Bugs' posture worried Mickey. The rabbit had his back toward the mouse. He removed his hat to let his ears stand straight, but the tips of his ears still drooped. Bugs' pointed tail seemed to sag a bit too. Mickey could see Bugs' arms were crossed.

"Bugs? Are you alright?" Mickey called. The rabbit slowly turned around. He held the snow globe in his hands. The intricate designs on the train were caked in mud and foam. Wet leaves stuck to the dome like glue. Worst of all the glass globe bore a enormous crack from top to base. Bugs walked with heavy feet as he approached Mickey.

"Sorry, Doc. I know it meant a lot to ya." Bugs apologized. Mickey shakily received the ruined snow globe. He wanted to break down, but denial held his tears back; even denial of what was right in front of his eyes. From past clues, Mickey had learned the snow globe was water proof. But the with the crack and the filth, the snow globe looked like it had been pulled out of a junkyard. No, Master Yen Sid's magical craftsmanship really didn't look like it had survived the rabbit's battle.

"You didn't do it on purpose." Mickey quivered. Those words. It was as if he gave himself permission to accept the truth. The mouse bowed his head, about ready to admit defeat.

"Mickey. There is one thing you can try." Winifred suggested. Mickey looked to his right, to see the elephant push away a curtain of vines. "We are here. The code is zero, two, zero, six, two, eight... in case you've forgotten." The elephant informed.

"Eh, it's woith a try, Doc." Bugs encouraged. Mickey nodded. Carefully turning over the snow globe, Mickey wiped the mud off the rotating discs so he could see the numbers. He keyed in the six digit code. Miraculously the fake snow started to swirl inside the globe. It drifted in an invisible whirlpool, until the rice sized snowflakes combusted into a billion glittering snow crystals. A new recording of Walt's voice spoke with a normal amount of static.

"I hope you found exactly who you were looking for. I hope you found water too. Well? What are you two waiting for? Both of you sink the snow globe and dive in. The next code is 012328."

Mickey waited eagerly for the snapshot that would project on the snow globe's glass. But no such thing came. The blizzard raged on for an unusually lengthy time before disappearing into the clear globe. Mickey's hope fell. The snow globe really was broken. Frantically Mickey tried to wipe the mud off the train with his robe's bell sleeve.

"Well dat was short." Bugs noted, referring to the clue. "What're ya doin'?"

"Walt said the journey's over when all the train lights are on and the whistle blows." Mickey explained. To prove his point, the tiny windows on the train carts shined faint yellow lights. The mouse quickly counted them all and labeled them with each adventure he and his friends had in the past three days. Fourteen. Fourteen clues including the new one, and fourteen lights. "Thank goodness, that part of the snow globe's still working." The mouse sighed. "We can still finish this." Bugs' ears stopped their drooping. He smiled, knowing his act of bravery didn't cost them the treasure.

"Den dat's just what we'll do. Now-" Bugs paused in mid sentence for a carrot break. "What's dis he means 'bout findin' watah?" The rabbit questioned between bites.

"This way, boys." Winifred called from beyond the vine curtain. Mickey and Bugs followed her voice off the beaten jungle trail. On the other side, the two toons saw a small patch of long grass that dropped off into a rocky canyon. If they looked off the edge far enough, they could see a river flowing below. Up the river, there were five massive rocks along with some fallen trees piled close to each other. Though not a solid dam, the barriers slowed the water flow and steered it into the narrow river. Above the rocks and trees was a water filled pit that overflowed as a roaring waterfall constantly tried to fill it. Mickey couldn't imagine how he and Bugs would get down to the river, and even if they could Mickey wouldn't dare put the snow globe in _that_ river. It looked dangerously swift. Then Mickey noticed something about the waterfall he really wished he hadn't seen. From the waterfall's peak, curving all the way to the ledge where the toons stood, was a semi leveled rock path.

"Oh, no." Mickey breathed. Bugs glanced up from his scrutiny of the canyon walls.

"What's up, D-oh... uh-oh." Bugs stuttered, sharing the mouse's thoughts.

'Sink the snow globe and dive in.'

"Up there?" Mickey implored to Winifred.

"Yes. It's the only way for the clue to work; assuming it still can work." Winifred confirmed.

"Can't we just t'row a bucket a' watah on it?" Bugs suggested. It wasn't like Walt was there to tell the difference between a water pale and a waterfall. That was the rabbit's reasoning, though he didn't dare say it out loud.

"There are no short cuts to the treasure." Winifred answered sternly. "Now if you'll excuse me, it's time I rejoined the herd."

"Wait, you're leaving _now_?" Mickey exclaimed. "But what if we still need you? What if the snow globe malfunctions?"

"Then there is nothing I can do. I wish I were allowed to help you further. But by Walt's command, my aid stops here. Goodbye Mickey. It has been an honor." The elephant said apologetically. She stepped back into the dense jungle without another word. Bugs walked ahead of Mickey towards the rock path.

"We gotta jump dat watahfall, don't we?" Bugs predicted.

"Yeah." Mickey agreed. The rabbit took the first brave step onto the flat rocks. The surface under his feet was wet and slick like it was recently washed in rain. Bugs kept to the right side of the path where jungle ferns and low tree branches reached out to support him. Though the rocks were wide enough for Bugs and Mickey to walk upon them side by side, Bugs decided not to take chances that day. For the time being, Bugs tread a wide but slippery trail over a steep slope with patches of shrubs tangled together in thorns. Looking ahead, he could see the path curving along the cliff side got narrower and higher. Also by that point were the jagged red rocks at the waterfall's shore. Of course he could survive any fall from any height. That's called being a Looney Tune! But that was no reason to be cocky. The rabbit wasn't immune to pain. And with those bat-faced monsters lurking near, he knew better than to go looking for trouble.

"So dose 'er the creeps chasin' ya, Mac?" Bugs questioned to pass the time.

"Uh-huh." Mickey responded, just behind Bugs. "Now you know what kind of danger I was talking about back at your place." The mouse lectured. "Not to say, I told you so." He added.

"Alright, smarty. I get it." Bugs shook off. "What'd the little devils want wit' the snow globe anyway?"

"To destroy it, as far as I know." Mickey guessed. "I haven't had the time to stop and ask one." The toons were silenced for a few minutes. The thundering waterfall began to overpower their voices, the closer they came. So rather than screaming to hear each other, Bugs and Mickey kept their mouths shut and their eyes focused on the next step ahead. Eventually a huge chunk of the stone path disappeared, as if it broke off in a landslide. The path withered down to the width of Bugs' feet plus an inch. The rabbit pressed his back against the ravine wall, and sidestepped on his way. Mickey followed suit with the snow globe held protectively under his arm. Closer and closer they inched to the top, until Bugs froze not twenty feet below the peak. With their backs plastered to the ravine wall, Bugs and Mickey stood parallel with the white waterfall. The sound of white water crashed in their ears. The cold mist sprayed their faces. A rainbow dipped out of the raging falls and ended in the overflow. Mickey hoped that was a good sign. Then he looked to Bugs for permission to move on. But Bugs didn't budge. Mickey tried tapping his shoe against Bugs' foot. Luckily that got Bugs moving again. A few more sidesteps, four more hurtles over large boulders that were too round to be called stairs, and the toons hoisted themselves up to the waterfall's rocky peak. Bugs placed his hands on his hips and dug his heals into the sturdy earthly platform. The motion didn't go unnoticed by Mickey.

"Hmph. Nothin' to it!" Bugs reflected confidently.

"Still it's a lot less scary on a set." Mickey claimed with stressed volume. He really meant to comfort Bugs, without pointing fingers at his paralyzing moment.

"What? A two hundred foot drop versus on set? We'll hardly know da difference." Bugs smirked sarcastically. "C'mon. Let's get dis ovah wit'." Mickey and Bugs took their starting positions; bending their right legs in front of them and jabbing their elbows out with fists clenched. "Ready when you are." The rabbit stated. Mickey put on a brave face.

"Right! Let's go!" He shouted. The toons charged off the cliff, leaping into the misty air. The security of firm earth immediately left them. A tingling sensation of 'uh-oh' flooded through them, and their stomachs jumped up in their throats. Bugs and Mickey uncontrollably screamed their heads off whilst they dropped like anvils.

"AAAHHHHHHH!"

The blue overflow was getting bigger, and the toons shrieked louder. Any second now they would hit the water face first, be pulled under the waterfall by the current, and drown in pain and terror. Any second now... any second now... any minute now? Mickey's scream died down to a dry cough. He gave Bugs a half curious half terrified look and the rabbit returned it. The toons seemed to be gliding in the wind rather than falling. And the falling seem unnaturally long, even for the height they jumped from. Were they in control of this? Bugs uttered a hesitant and breathy laugh. Then he laughed a bit louder, and Mickey joined in. Suddenly they both burst into side splitting guffaw.

"Jumpin' a wattahfall wit'out a parachute! Oh, how dangerous, ain't it Doc?!" Bugs howled, clutching his stomach.

"Yeah! Can you believe, we thought we'd be killed?" Mickey chuckled. The toons simultaneously returned from their breach in reality to find themselves in freeze frame just above the water's surface. Bugs winked to Mickey. Suddenly they dove into the water as if they'd jumped off a kiddie diving board; taking the snow globe with them. Mickey felt the water gush all around him. Despite the winter season, the water wasn't bone chilling, freezing cold. It was actually a pleasant temperature. A light glowed in front of Mickey's face. He forced his eyelids open, enduring the temporary sting in his eyes. Mickey realized it was the snow globe that shined in pale pink. The water shifted against him. Mickey could make out the long skinny limbs of Bugs dogpaddling next to him. The glowing orb illuminated the waters with blurry streams of light that bloomed out from the center like a flower. Bugs and Mickey floated in the middle of the snow globe's illusion. New lights flashed from the snow globe, forming lines and shapes in front of the toons. It was as if Mickey were seeing his figurine's perspective inside the snow globe.

The pink lines created an illustration of Lillian Disney. Mickey could hardly see that underwater. However his heart succeeded where his eyes failed. Without cause, Mickey's heart was suddenly filled with the love of his mother. He remembered her in a nostalgic way when he knew nothing but she and Walt. He sensed her nurturing hand, her kind voice, her protective gaze over his shoulder, everything about her felt so close. Mickey strained his eyes to study the picture. Finally he could identify Lillian by her short dark hair. 'And that black lump she's holding... must be me." Mickey mused. It made sense to him. Who else would she be holding? Who else with black fur, four fingers... no round ears, no long tail, no distinguishable face? Mickey couldn't understand it. His eyesight couldn't be that bad. He tried to convince himself that the black toon with four fingers on Lillian's arm was in fact himself. But too many details were amiss. Inside Mickey's mind he begged for the toon in the picture to turn his head and show his face. Unfortunately the clue began to expire. The picture flickered away, the pink light was absorbed back into the snow globe, and Mickey instantly remembered... he needed air. Mickey kicked and flailed his arms to bring himself to the surface. He didn't seem to be going anywhere. That's when a brisk chill hit his face. Mickey blinked to find himself face down against the rock formation he and Bugs had previously plummeted off of. Beside him, Bugs exploded back to life, gasping for air. The rabbit realized where they were, and shot up to his knees.

"How did we...?" Bugs started.

"Magic, probably." Mickey mumbled, still resting on the ground. Bugs felt an awkwardness fall about the atmosphere. He tried to fix it. Quickly he found the snow globe standing up right behind him.

"Hey, Doc. Look, th' snow globe's lookin' much bettah. Except for dat nasty crack. And yer robe don't look singed anymore." Bugs observed cheerfully. He picked up the snow globe, and set it in front of Mickey's face. The mouse didn't move a muscle. Bugs' ears drooped with concern.

"What's da mattah wit' ya, Mouse? Wasn't dat just a happy memory?"

"It's not my memory, Bugs." Mickey whimpered.


	23. Neck 'n' Unknown Part 1

After a moment of sulking, Mickey pushed himself off the ground. He let his restored magic robe fade out; replacing his wardrobe with his ordinary red shorts. The mouse still hung his head, making no further attempt to move on. Bugs picked up the snow globe in one hand, and yanked Mickey up by the wrist with the other. It was then Bugs, began to understand why Walt specifically chose him to assist Mickey. In just one day Bugs had seen Mickey break down, on the verge of giving up, twice. Walt knew Mickey would need someone less bias towards the Disney Company; someone who wouldn't be strongly affected when something broke or went wrong. Walt chose Bugs Bunny to be that outsider who would push Mickey through the toughest times. Or at least that was Bugs' theory.

"C'mon, Doc. Let's get outta here." Bugs said. Mickey limply followed. The rabbit took a few strides before stomping on the ground. A small section of rock fell through the mountain, leaving behind a perfectly round tunnel at their feet. Mickey perked up a bit, seeing what the rabbit was doing.

"Bugs, wait a minute." Mickey pleaded.

"Age before beauty." Bugs ignored. With one shove, he forced Mickey face first down the rabbit hole. Naturally Mickey screamed all the way down the ninety degree drop. Blinded by pitch black darkness, and unable to get a grip on the tunnel walls, Mickey shuttered at the thought of where the tunnel ended. He could almost feel his face plowing into a rocky dead end. However the drop shifted into a steady slope. Gravity pressed Mickey's stomach to one wall as the tunnel gradually angled itself into a slide. Finally at the end of the tunnel appeared a white light. Mickey held out his hands against the tunnel, still trying to slow himself down. If he was on a collision course with a train, (one has to remember, anything can happen in Toontown) he was going to be extremely ticked off. The light welcomed Mickey with a rush of cool air. 'Outside' Mickey realized. Suddenly the mouse shot out of the tunnel, dragging his chin in powdery snow. That was the final straw. He was never going underground again. Whilst surveying the landscape, Mickey could see he was still in the jungle, though far away from the waterfall and at a lower altitude. Meanwhile Bugs carefully crawled from the tunnel which strangely lead out of a fallen tree rather than the ground. Bugs smirked at Mickey irritably brushing the snow and dirt off his chest. The mouse sensed Bugs watching him, and scowled back. Bugs nonchalantly sat down on the log, and patted a spot for Mickey to sit. Mickey grudgingly accepted the invitation.

"Don't ever do that again." Mickey murmured. Bugs held the snow globe up to his face to examine the yellow windows on the train.

"Y'know Doc, dese lights tell me you've come a long way wit'out my help." Bugs counseled. "How'd ya do it?"

"Most of that was before I knew... how much Walt lied to me." Mickey choked out. Bugs tried to say something but Mickey went on. "I know. I know what I said this morning about how much he loves me, and I know Mom and Dad had good reasons to keep this secret from me." Mickey hid his face in his hands, nearly weeping. "But it's just getting so hard, Bugs. They're my parents. I wanna believe every word they say. I shouldn't have to second guess anything they've taught me. And now I have no choice." Bugs carefully pondered the mouse's words before responding.

"You're right. Dis mornin' you were set on ignoring ev'ry doubt, and stayin' focused on what you knew was true. Dat last clue's what's gettin' to ya." Bugs pointed out. He handed the snow globe over to Mickey. "If what you've told me is true, den Walt made dis just for _you_ ta have da treasure. He's not here ta collect any of its riches, an' ya know I ain't gettin' a single cent. It's all for you, Doc. So what'd ya see back der' dat made ya t'ink different?" Bugs asked plainly, pretending to be less interested. Mickey thought back to the image of the faceless toon that seemed to mock him. It had his mother's love and attention just as much as he once had when he was young. That, Mickey sensed within him. A blurry picture didn't tell him much. But that love that rushed over him, even before he was fully aware of who the image depicted. He was certain now that feeling emanated from the magic snow globe, and not his own memories. Lillian Disney had loved another inkblot toon like her own child. It seemed to be the most logical conclusion in spite of all the confusing nonsense. Suddenly Walt's words came flashing to the front of Mickey's mind. 'My heart is always with you, just as yours and another's are equally and eternally with me.' Finally something made sense again. Mickey looked Bugs' in the eye, and gave their only lead to they mysterious inkblot's identity.

"Ortensia." Mickey stated.

"You saw her?" Bugs questioned. His eyes drifted to the side. "I wouldn've got dat." He mumbled.

"Well I think I saw her. I hardly even saw a black toon, about my size, with a perfectly circle shaped head, no gloves, and four fingers." Mickey described.

"Sounds like half of Two Tone Town." Bugs remarked.

"But Walt lead us to her before, and we know she's involved. Bugs, I think my parents and Ortensia were close, and Ortensia blames me for separating her from them in 1928. What if my creation _did_ cause something bad to happen. What if I'm the reason the treasure is lost?" Mickey fretted. Bug patted Mickey's shoulder.

"Alright, take it easy. Dat's a lotta what ifs ta get woiked up ovah." Bugs calmed.

"But it's true. There was a toon before me that my parents cherished. I just know it." Mickey proclaimed.

"So you're jealous." Bugs concluded.

"What? No, I'm not." Mickey denied. "I'm just... sick of the lies."

"Well in dis rabbit's expert opinion, I say you should ignore her for now." Bugs decided.

"What?" Mickey questioned.

"Put everyt'ing about Ortensia on hold in da back of yer mind. We can't find her so dere's no use runnin' all da questions ya have for her ovah n' ovah in yer head. If her name comes up again, den we can worry about 'er." Bugs instructed. "For now, keep your chin up and play da next clue." That was hardly the result Mickey expected from his and Bugs' pep talk. Still he did get a lot off his chest and felt a little bit better. 'Keep moving forward.' Mickey thought. He turned the snow globe on its side to realize he didn't remember the code.

"Zero, one, two, t'ree, two, eight." Bugs supplied. Mickey stared at him. "What? Rabbits are good wit' numbahs." Bugs shrugged. The mouse shook his head, not bothering to ask why Bugs never brought up his mathematical talent before. He applied Bugs' numbers to the snow globe. The snow globe filled up with the dance of sparkling snowflakes. Walt's message commenced.

"This inkblot girl should be easier to find. Francine Cottontail. When you find her, pose as police officers. Tell her you're investigating her missing ex-boyfriend's case. If I know her, she'll spill anything to a man in uniform. Interview her. Learn as much about her ex as you can. However it is inevitable that you will be caught bluffing. When that time comes, both of you get away in a car, and don't stop driving 'til you've left Two Tone Town. The next code is 010928. Use it at nine o'clock tonight."

Neither toon could will themselves to make a sound. They both just stared in shock and disbelief at the continuously storming snow globe. Again, no picture appeared inside the globe. But that was the least of their worries. Bugs stood up from the log in outrage.

"He can't be serious!" Bugs exploded, beginning to pace.

"Impersonating officers?" Mickey gulped. "Walt what are ya gettin' us into?" He mumbled under his breath.

"He can't make us do dat! Why, dat's a serious offence! I don't know about you, but I've pulled dat gag in my cartoons. And I ain't gonna start committin' crime in real life!" Bugs ranted.

"We could go to jail for this." Mickey quivered.

"You bet we could!" Bugs snapped.

"For two years or longer." Mickey elaborated.

"And I am _not_ goin' ta Two Tone Town jail for two years!" Bugs declared. The rabbit's determined eyes locked with the mouse's frightened eyes. "We gotta figure a way around dis, Mouse." Bugs stated seriously. Mickey gave him a solemn look. Bugs tried to figure out the strange look, before he got a sinking feeling down in his stomach; the same feeling that Mickey had already surrendered to. "No." Bugs objected. The mouse's expression never changed. "No, no, and no!" Bugs refused more forcefully, as he stomped back to Mickey. "Do you have any idea what dis will do to our reputations? Especially if we're charged at da same time? We are _not_ goin' t'rough wit' dis."

Two hours later...

"I can't believe you didn't talk me out of this." Mickey complained. The 1928 inkblot styled mouse dragged his feet down the upper class greyscale neighborhood. He wore a long outdated black custodian helmet with a seven pointed star, that mostly covered his ears. His black jacket was fastened up to the collar in white buttons, and the left side of his chest was decorated with a white fake badge. Yes, as Two Tone Town law enforcement he looked pretty convincing.

"That's your own stubborn fault, bub." The white rabbit, wearing a matching fake uniform countered. Mickey took a piece of paper out of his pocket to reread the address he copied out of a phone book. No sooner had Mickey unfolded the paper, had his 'partner' violently shaken his shoulder. Mickey nearly jumped out of his skin. The rabbit gave no explanation beyond pointing his finger to a suspicious scene straight ahead of them. Two shaggy furred, lanky, black cats in grey pants hovered over a petite black rabbit in a forest green dress. The fem rabbit's ears laid back on her head in distress. Tears streamed down her face. She tried to back away from the crooks, but one of the cats' claws caught her sleeve, and yanked at the fabric. Meanwhile, the false officers stood motionless before the scene. Mickey knew well that if they acted as officers in this very real situation, it would only add to their punishment once they were found out. However, Happy Rabbit thought nothing of the consequences, and charged right in. "Police! Freeze!" He barked. Of course the cats bolted across the street and over a picket fence. Happy gave chase after them. Mickey ran to the rabbit's aid.

"Are you alright, Miss?" Mickey asked. The black rabbit panted for a moment, then adjusted her torn sleeve over her shoulder again. She responded with three signs; a knocking motion with her fist, a tap off of her chin with a flat palmed hand, and tapped her thumb and index finger in the shape of a C over her heart.

 **Yes, thank you Officer.**

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Mickey spoke whilst signing. He'd learned American Sign Language in the old black and white Toontown, and knew well that if one could sign, it was respectful to do so. The black rabbit smiled and shook her head. She picked up her hands to sign again, but she froze in place with her eyes set on someone to her right. Her ears stood up straight with interest. Tiny white hearts popped around her head. Mickey's eyes followed, and immediately rolled back in his head. 'The triumphant hero returns.' He thought sarcastically. Happy strode back to the street corner with his head held high, and ears waving in the wind.

"The perps. got away. But they won't be so lucky next time." Happy reported. The black rabbit took the opportunity to strut up to Happy and get acquainted with him. She batted her long eyelashes at him, and nudged against him, almost resting her head on his heart. Physically, Happy neither rejected her affection, nor did he encourage it. He wasn't really attracted to inkblots. But this inkblot girl made an effort to be colorful in a black and white society, with her green dress, red lips, and purple eyeshadow. Happy had to admire her bravery for that. So he played along. "Ma'am, you must be traumatized after that encounter. You poor, poor thing. Let us walk you home, safe and sound." Happy charmed the best he could in his screwball voice. He slipped an arm over her shoulder. Mickey nearly facepalmed with embarrassment. This was exactly why Happy was not a real cop.

 **Thank you, my hero. But I should be the one to repay you.** The she rabbit signed; practically melting like putty in Happy's hands. Unbeknownst to the black rabbit, her every sign went way over Happy's head.

"Actually there is one thing you can do to help us." Mickey piped in. The black rabbit finally broke eye contact with Happy. "We're looking for a Mrs. F.R.A.N.C.I.N.E C.O.T.T.O.N.T.A.I.L." Mickey explained both verbally and in sign.

 **What do you want with F.R.A.N.C.I.N.E.?** The fem rabbit inquired uneasily. Mickey suspected the rabbit's trick.

"She's not in any trouble. We just have a few questions for her." Mickey placated. "About her ex boyfriend's case." The black rabbit's eyes lit up with surprise, then dimmed with sadness. Then she reached behind her and withdrew and ID card from her hammerspace, and gave it to Mickey. The mouse was surprised to learn that according to her ID, the now confirmed Francine was a registered nurse. He returned the ID card to her. 'Well, Walt wasn't kidding when he said Francine had an eye for men in uniform.' Mickey mused, noticing the rabbits still shared personal and intimate space.

 **What do you want to know?** Francine complied. Happy left Francine's side, and pulled out a small notepad and pen.

"When was the last time you saw the toon in question, Mrs. Cottontail?" Happy asked. Francine gave a lengthy answer in sign that once again made no sense to the false cop. Then she placed her hands on her hips, finally seeing Happy's cluelessness under his supposed heroism and authority. The white rabbit embarrassedly handed his notepad and pen over to Mickey. "Maybe you should handle this, chum." He suggested. Mickey took the notepad, wrote down Francine's reply, and showed it to Happy. 'Please call me Fanny. I haven't seen Ozzie since 1929.' Happy gave an understanding nod, before giving the mouse a double take. One side of Mickey's mouth twitched into a smile. They both caught an important clue. This ex boyfriend, probably another inkblot Walt wanted them to track down, had a name.

 **Years ago, I already told the police that.** Fanny brought up suspiciously. Mickey thought fast.

"We were just assigned to the case." Mickey answered.

"Because we found some new leads." Happy put in. "Now, could you describe the last time you saw Ozzie?" He asked. Fanny tilted her head as if Happy just spoke Chinese to her.

 **Late September, 1929, I visited O.Z.Z.I.E at the studio. He didn't look well. His fur was missing.** Fanny recounted, patting her forearms where patches of Ozzie's skin showed. **He limped as he walked. And the way he looked in my eyes. He looked at me like I wasn't real. Like he was talking to his own reflection.** The black rabbit's ears fell with sorrow from the memory. **O.Z.Z.I.E never told me, but I always suspected abuse. One time I saw he and his wife had grey bruises on their faces.** Fanny informed, pointing specifically at her jaw and above her temple.

"Did you ever report the alleged abuse?" Mickey implored.

 **I couldn't. O.Z.Z.I.E denied abuse every time I asked. And the humans wouldn't help. I had no proof.** Fanny explained. Mickey felt his stomach churn. He felt sick just thinking of any human in the cartoon business being low enough to hurt a toon; perhaps their own creation. The mouse lowered the notepad from his chest to make his next words sound personal to Fanny, instead of scripted.

"Fanny?" Mickey began seriously. "Was there any human at the studio that would want to hurt your ex?" Fanny's eyes looked downward.

 **One man... pulled my ears, and told me to stop distracting his star. He threw me out the door. Ever since, no one let me on the studio lot again.** Fanny finished. Mickey's heart went out to her. He wished he could comfort her as a friend. But he was a stranger in disguise, scamming her. The mouse reassuringly held Fanny's hand. Her eyes lifted toward him.

"Who was the man, Fanny?" Mickey whispered. He let her hand go. Fanny breathed a heavy sigh. The black rabbit lifted her right hand, preparing to fingerspell a name, when suddenly two dark figures materialized behind Mickey and Happy. Fanny gaped at the towering black fox toons. Their tattered fur spiked out on the sides of their faces. Razor-edged fangs peaked out from their lips. What was more confusing than frightening, was the fact that they were dressed head to tail in police uniform. Happy detected the terrified expression in Fanny's eyes, and curiously turned around. He regretted the motion immediately.

"Hey, Mouse?" Happy nudged.

"What is it, Ha-?" The mouse snapped, suddenly coming face to gut with the with a hostile looking fox. Mickey craned his neck, taking in every accurate detail of the 'officer's' uniform. Once Mickey made eye contact with the fox, he felt trapped under the fox's death glare. Staring into the fox's infuriated eyes, Mickey saw the black ovals shift into narrow black slits. Yellow burned through the black ink, and specks of red cracked through the fox's pale skin. 'A demon!' Mickey perceived. The mouse broke eye contact, and stumbled backwards into a frantic dash. "Run!" Mickey yelped.


	24. Neck 'n' Unknown Part 2

Happy bolted after Mickey without question. Though Mickey knew the fox cops were as fake as he and Happy, the white rabbit didn't see the creature reveal its yellow eyes. Thus, Happy ran for his, or better yet, Bugs' good name. The foxes closed in on them, reaching their claws just over Mickey and Happy's heads. Suddenly Happy burrowed into the pavement, kicking up pebbles in the foxes faces. Whilst Mickey kept running, Happy returned to Fanny. She shuffled backwards when the sidewalk cracked open, and the white rabbit pulled himself up into thin air by the ears.

"Gotta scoot, toots. But let's do this again some time." Happy flirted before pecking her on the cheek. Fanny's face flickered from white to black. Happy looked ahead as Mickey hopped a chain link fence, whilst the foxes shed their disguises, and soared over the fence. The rabbits blinked at the burnt red creatures swooping down on their black and white rodent prey. Happy hurried back down the rabbit hole, and popped up outside the neighborhood complex, in the middle of a busy street. He ducked just in time, before a black taxi cab could make a speed bump out of him. When he peaked his head above ground again, he spotted Mickey running along the sidewalk with the vibrant red creatures hot on his tail. Happy raced out of the road, to Mickey's side.

"Happy! Where've ya been?" Mickey exclaimed.

"Protecting our key witness." Happy replied. "Think these creeps will give her any trouble?"

"Not as long as they know we have the snow globe." Mickey panted.

"Good. So what's the plan now, chum?" Happy questioned. Mickey scanned the road for a way out. The streets roared with the ancient sound effects of clown car horns, bells, bike whistles, and horse hooves. In the blur of greyscale vehicles and town folk, Mickey spotted a black and white checkered line coming their way.

"Taxi! Taxi!"

The black taxicab stopped on a dime for them. Rather than boarding the back of the cab, Mickey and Bugs hopped in the passenger seat, and scrunched up against the driver.

"Hey!" The hound dog driver protested.

"Get us outta town, pronto!" Mickey ordered.

"And don't worry 'bout the speed limit, Mac. We'll make sure ya don't get a ticket." Happy assured, tucking his thumb under the badge pinned to his chest. The taxi driver bought the bluff, and put the pedal to the metal. The cab rocketed through and even over traffic. At the press of a button, the cab extended mechanical stilts between the wheels and the cab, lifting the driver and passengers a good twenty feet over a semi. The cab shrank down to it's normal height, and took a sharp left turn.

"Are they still chasing us?" Happy asked. Mickey looked out the window. Not a speck of red in sight.

"No. I think we lost them." Mickey reported. Suddenly Chernabog's minion pounced on the hood, and began clawing at the windshield. Happy and Mickey jumped to the back of their seats, screaming in horror. The driver steered a 360 degree spin to shake the creature off, but it hung on. Then the driver sped towards a dome shaped tunnel under a steel bridge. Mickey smirked. A tunnel was the perfect place to lose someone via toon tricks. The cab drove into total darkness where not even the yellow light of the demon's eyes could be seen. When the black background cleared into the grey outside world, the toons didn't have time to breathe a sigh of relief. A loud _bang_ echoed in the tunnel behind them. Then a whole chorus of the particular sound literally shot off. Mickey stuck his head out the window and Happy leaned over his shoulder to see as well. The two red scaled creatures emerged from the tunnel in their own paddy wagon. Four more shots rang out, and the mouse and rabbit ducked their heads inside just in time. "Of course I've been wrong before." Mickey stated after the close call.

"Why'd they wait till now to shoot at us?" Happy wondered. Unlike Mickey, he was more annoyed than scared of the gunfire. Two Tone Town's main entrance was in sight; as were the green pines on the other side. The taxi's engine revved hard as it finished the home stretch. But Chernabog's underlings were just a rear bumper behind. The taxi cab crossed its finish line, only to get stuck in the unplowed snowed over road. Mickey hunched over with his hands covering the back of his head. They couldn't outrun the inevitable any longer. The mouse waited for the demons to tear the cab apart and shoot them all with False Dip, or worse. But no such struggle ever came. The atmosphere was quiet, even peaceful in an unsettling way. Mickey slowly lifted his head. Happy nudged him to look outside. So the mouse swung the door open and waited for a reaction. When he received none, he carefully stepped into the snow, followed by Happy. Mickey and Happy were taken back by the sight. The paddy wagon and the creatures had vanished, but their tire tracks remained. Only they stopped directly under the Two Tone Town sign. Chills ran down Mickey's spine. He decided not to wait around for the creatures to come back.

"Let's get outta here." Mickey said. Happy nodded. Before leaving, Mickey thanked the driver for his services, and paid him with a hundred dollar bill, regardless of the lesser price the ride actually cost. As the duo marched off into the snow, they could hear the taxi driver's rejoicing howls.

"You do realize you just handed that dog five hundred sixty-seven dollars and forty-four cents worth of Two Tone Town money, right?" Happy inquired. Mickey just smiled.

"That's okay. It's the season of giving."

Later that afternoon Mickey and Happy ditched their false uniforms and resumed their up to date appearances and identities. Having experienced way too much excitement for one day, the toons took refuge inside the safest place they could think of: the public library. In the farthest corner form the library's lobby, there was a black leather reading couch almost completely boxed in by bookshelves. Bugs specifically deemed it a good spot to clear their heads.

"We can't let dat stunt leak out to anyone." Bugs groaned, hanging his head over the seat of the couch and stretching his feet over the headrest. "Hittin' on an inkblot. What was I thinkin'." Mickey almost rolled over from his horizontal pose to glare at Bugs. But the mouse quickly recognized that Bugs was joking, since Bugs was first to object to playing pretend officers.

"I just hope she's okay." Mickey put in. "And her ex boyfriend, wherever he is." He added.

"About dat..." Bugs began. "Ya mind fillin' me in on dat little conversation?" Mickey handed Bugs his notes on Ozzie's case. Bugs sat right side up to read them.

"Fanny last saw her ex in September of 1929, at a studio lot she never named." Mickey translated his shorthand notes. "His fur was missing in clumps, he walked with a limp, and he looked distantly at Fanny, like she wasn't there. Fanny thought someone was abusing Ozzie and his wife. But Ozzie always told her he was okay, and the humans were no help. So she couldn't report any hard evidence to the police. That's when I asked her if any human would want to hurt Ozzie." Mickey paused. "She said there was one man who threw her out of the studio for 'distracting his star'. But I didn't catch his name. I would've if those demons hadn't come along." Mickey brooded.

"Hmm, this investigation just got interestin'." Bugs thought out loud. "What'd ya say we take dis case for real dis time, Doc?" The rabbit suggested.

"Us? Solve a missing toon's case? Bugs, we've already got our hands tied with a missing treasure." Mickey disagreed. "Besides we don't have time to get distracted."

"Eh, on da contrary, Mac, we've got nine an' a half hours ta kill." Bugs corrected. Mickey remembered Walt stated a late time for the next clue to be activated. "Besides, we'll probably end up tracking him down later. Just like Fanny and Ortensia before. So why not start now?" Mickey considered the idea for a moment.

"Okay Bugs. But we gotta drop it as soon as the clock strikes nine." Mickey gave in.

"Deal. Now-" The rabbit flipped through Mickey's notepad to a blank page, and started jotting down his own notes. "What'd we know about Ozzie?" Bugs wondered.

"He's gotta be an inkblot. Animated before September of '29." Mickey supplied.

"Good. What else?" Bugs urged.

"He's Fanny Cottontail's ex boyfriend." Mickey continued. Bugs paused his scribing.

"Eh, going offa dat, can we assume Ozzie's a rabbit?" Bugs asked.

"For now, yeah." Mickey shrugged. Then Bugs continued writing: _Ozzie Rabbit and Fanny Cottontail / no relation._ "And he's married now." Mickey went on.

"Got it." Bugs acknowledged. "What else?"

"Nothing. That's all we know." Mickey said. Bugs summoned a carrot from his hammerspace, hoping a little nourishment would provoke some clever, problem solving brain activity. However the mouse's brain was quicker this time. "I got it!" Mickey exclaimed. He sat up against the armrest. "We'll cross-reference Ozzie's name with Walt. See if anything comes up in Walt's past pre-1930's that would tie in with Ozzie or Fanny." Bugs smirked at the mouse's enthusiasm, though he doubted they'd have any more success researching in the library than they did in the Hall of Records.

"Alright, what's next?" The rabbit questioned.

"The History section." Mickey answered.

Being a Toontown library, finding books on animation history was much easier than finding books on world history. As luck would have it, there was even an entire three double sided isles of Walt Disney history books. Everything from Walt himself to the Nine Old Men, and much more. Some had human authors, and others were authored by toons. Mickey and Bugs walked to opposite ends of the three isles, and began to skim for Walt's beginnings or anything with a rabbit on it. This task would definitely take up nine hours.

July 1, 1956

"We will now hear from our mayor."

The mouse visibly cringed at the loud angry roar that followed his title. He stepped up to the podium at the front of the conference room in Toontown's Town Hall. The room must have only fitted three hundred people, but the crowd of news reporters, journalists, and outraged citizens seemed to number in the thousands. This was one time the mouse looked uncomfortable with people shouting his name.

"Mr. Mayor! Can you confirm that Dip is deadly to toons?"

"Mr. Mayor! How is the police responding to The Judge's threats?"

"Mr. Mayor! Is it true the masked figure known as The Judge is the creator of Dip?"

"Mr. Mayor! Is anyone in Toontown safe?"

Meanwhile Bugs stood outside the conference room with arms folded and back against the wall. He could hear the mouse crack under pressure even through closed doors. Sure, he wanted to be in there giving the mouse a piece of his mind like everyone else in town. But he decided against fighting his way to the front of the mad crowd. Instead he'd be the first face Mickey Mouse would see as he walked through those doors. That would send a clear message.

"No one'll re-elect _him_ again." Bugs remarked to himself.

"You said it, pal." A baritone voice cut in. Bugs flinched, realizing the voice came from a short human toon in a tan trench coat, standing right next to him. 'How long've you been standin' dere?' Bugs thought. He noticed the little toon covered most of his face with his coat collar and his hat hanging over his eyes. But the rabbit did catch his short black hair and a pale white ear poking up from the collar. "Sorry for your loss." The stranger sighed.

"Pardon me?" Bugs implored.

"Sorry, it's just there's darn too many Dipped toons. I assumed everyone was here because they lost someone." The stranger sniveled, turning his back to Bugs.

"That's what happened to you?" Bugs probed. The stranger nodded. Without considering what to say to a complete stranger, Bugs revealed his story. "None of my friends got Dipped. I did." The stranger whirled around.

"You did?" He gasped. "And survived?"

"I'm here, ain't I? I guess it must've been my lucky day." Bugs stated bitterly. He tried to come off as friendly, but there was nothing lifting his or the stranger's spirits in that situation. Bugs really didn't feel happy-go-lucky that day, and it showed.

"Oh, now I see why you're sore at the mayor." The stranger realized. He recovered speedily from his mournful mood. Though Bugs didn't catch it. "His sleezy weasels almost did you in, and now you want revenge." The stranger prompted.

"Yeah, I do!" Bugs asserted. The stranger lightly chuckled, as he pulled a brown briefcase out of his hammerspace.

"That's swell. 'Cause boy, have I got a job for you!" He snickered.

December 18, 1983 7:02 pm

Bugs picked another five books off the shelf. He set the stack on the floor, laid his on his stomach in the middle of the walkway, and opened yet another book. He didn't care if he was in anyone's way. Not including the receptionist, the library was practically empty anyway. At the top of Bugs' view, he caught the rim of someone's yellow shoes walking his way. Bugs glanced up from the table of contents.

"Back so soon, Doc?" The rabbit sarcastically quipped. He hadn't seen the mouse in over an hour.

"Well, the place was busy for a Sunday night." Mickey justified, dropping a fast food labeled paper sack in front of Bugs. "I've already eaten my share." He informed.

"T'anks Doc." Bugs tore into the bag, grabbing a fist full of French fries.

"Bugs." Mickey stopped him. "This is a library. You can't eat in here."

"Who's gonna see?" Bugs disregarded, stuffing all the fries he wanted in his mouth. Mickey gave no further argument and sat down on the floor.

"Made any progress?" Mickey half yawned.

"Nope. Not even a footnote 'bout a rabbit." Bugs reported. "But ya know what I did find?" The rabbit scrambled back to the bookshelves, and tossed a book to Mickey. The mouse examined the white book with a picture of Walt surrounded by various toons. Walt Disney An American Original By Bob Thomas the cover read. Mickey flipped through the book, instantly detecting a thin gap in the pages. "Missin' pages." Bugs voiced.

"So? These books are old. They've been used a lot." Mickey said.

"Not dat one." Bugs pointed out. Mickey opened the book to the inside cover. Bugs was right. The copyrighted year was 1976. Yet the book was missing about ten pages all in one section. "Or dis one, or dis one." Bugs rambled off, throwing more books at Mickey, which he'd earlier set aside for evidence. Mickey checked each copyright date. The Art of Walt Disney: From Mickey Mouse to the Magic Kingdoms, 1975. Walt Disney's America, 1981. Walt Disney Biography, 1977. They were all fairly recent. The mouse set the armful of books on the floor.

"What are ya saying, Bugs? Someone knew we would come to this library, of all the libraries in Toontown, and ripped out all the pages they didn't want us to read?" Mickey doubted.

"You chose dis place, Doc. T'ink about it. How often do ya bring yer kids here?" Bugs interrogated. Mickey fell speechless. He understood now, Bugs could be on to something. The mouse picked up one of Bugs' selected books.

"I'll see if they have a mint condition copy of this." Mickey notified. Bugs nodded, setting the damaged books back on the shelves. The last book belonged in the very far right corner of the top shelf. Bugs stood on his toes trying to reach the high corner. When that didn't work, he pinched the book's spine with his ears, and tried to throw it back up there. Bugs miscalculated his aim, and the book fell through the crack between the two bookshelves. The rabbit facepalmed with his right ear. He could have left it alone. But sometimes even Bugs Bunny had an nitpicky conscience. So Bugs knelt down and pointed his long, thin, ears between the bookshelves to fish out the lost book.

Meanwhile, Mickey took a detour, and sat down at a table. Curiosity got the better of him. Rather than wait five minutes for an non-vandalized book that would have all the answers, Mickey decided to try figuring the answers out for himself base on what he didn't have. What he didn't have specifically was pages eighty through eighty-nine. Mickey opened to the table of contents, and found the chapter headings especially helpful. Chapter II: The Cartoon Maker 1923-1934 beginning on page sixty-seven. That was definitely the intel he and Bugs were looking for. Mickey's eyes scrolled down to the bottom of the chapter headings to spot his biggest breakthrough all evening. _Index_ starting on page three hundred sixty-three.

Back at Bugs' post, he finally worked the book out of its hiding place. But when he looked up at the book he wrapped his ears around, it wasn't the book he'd dropped. This book was golden yellow and besides being covered in dust, looked brand new. Bugs took the book in his hands so he could see the bolded title right side up. A surprised smile grew on Bugs' face. The book's title read Before Mickey: Animated Film 1898-1928.

"Bingo." Bugs grinned.

At the same time, Mickey skimmed through the columns of index words and their page numbers. The headings were listed alphabetically such as Disney Roy Oliver before Disney Ruth Flora. And the subheadings were organized numerically. Lucky for that it was easy to find which subheadings under Disney Walt(er) were in the missing 80's pages. Mickey turned the page to read under Disney Walt(er) _cont.,_ anticipating what he might find. He didn't even bother reading the subheadings, as he speed read through the numbers. 71, 72-73, 73... 78-79, and finally 80-81. Mickey looked at the subheading: moves to Hyperion Avenue studio, page 80-81. Then the next one: grows mustache, page 81. Then the line below that: begins Oswald the Lucky Rabbit series, page 83-85. HOLD IT! Mickey backtracked and read the reference again. He could hardly believe his eyes. There it was in black and white. There was Fanny's missing ex boyfriend. And his name wasn't Ozzie. It was _Oswald._ Mickey felt excited. He wanted to learn more about the rabbit. Alas the next two lines destroyed all hopes of that. The first: loses control of Oswald cartoons to Mintz, pages 86-87. And the second: birth of Mickey Mouse, pages 88-89.

The mouse slammed the book shut. One of Mickey's deepest fears that the perilous journey crafted, arose in his heart and made it too heavy with guilt to hold up in his chest. Again, Mickey couldn't help but feel like he had caused something awful. Nevertheless, he knew he had to tell Bugs what he'd found. He scooted out of the chair, about to make his way back to the section of the library that smelled of fries and cheeseburgers. But a furry grey obstacle jumped in his way.

"Hey, Doc! I gotta tell ya somet'in' important!" Bugs exclaimed.

"Lemme guess." Mickey anticipated.

"His name's Oswald." They said together.


	25. Unknown Scarem Part 1

July 1, 1956

Bugs surveyed his surroundings, making sure no one else was in the hallway. He clutched an ordinary man made briefcase in one hand. The trench coated stranger's specific instructions echoed in his head 'Okay pal, here's what ya gotta do. There's a fire alarm box in the hall on the other side of that conference room...' Bugs eyed the red box on the wall. The box stared back at him. He reached to pull the rectangular lever down.

"Ah-ah! No fire." The fire alarm interrupted.

"Oh, yes dere is." Bugs sneered, shoving a lit stick of dynamite in the box's mouth. The rabbit scooted back and grasped his ears in tight fists, as the TNT detonated. An earthshattering KA-BOOM rattled the wall and all toons standing on the other side were rocked to their knees. Then the charred but still intact fire alarm box toon rang out its high pitched cowbell alert. Overhead, the sprinkler system showered down on every corner of the building. Instantly the town folk responded with shrieks of terror. '...Block the door so everyone will have to use the double doors in back. The mouse will be farthest from the doors. Being the goody two-shoes that he is, he'll try to be the last toon out anyway. Don't let him leave.'

Bugs pressed himself to the door, getting out of the sprinkler's range. After wringing out his soaked ears, Bugs pulled a roller blind over the doorway. From Bugs' perspective it was a thick green fabric. But to anyone who opened the door, it was a raging fire. Just as planned, someone yanked the door open, saw the five foot inferno, and slammed the door shut. The rabbit waited a few seconds before slipping under the roller blind, and stepping into the room. He made his entrance just in time to see Mayor Mouse herd the last toons to safety. A pair of hippos to be exact. Bugs amusedly watched the mouse try to shove the hippos' stuck behinds out of the doorway. The rabbit got a running start down the isles of chairs. He high jump-kicked one hippo in the tail, knocking him loose. Once one hippo propelled forward, the other came tumbling after. The two doors slammed shut when the barriers were removed.

"Gee, thanks for your help-" Mickey cut himself off as soon as his eyes caught Bugs' identifiable backside. The long eared toon faced Mickey with a smug smile. The brown briefcase swung in his hand.

"Don't mention it, bub." Bugs yelled over the alarm. Mickey froze under the uncomfortably friendly look Bugs gave him. Ever since their first meeting, Mickey never expected to talk to the rabbit face to face again. He never wanted to. And he was certain Bugs felt the same way after all the dirty looks they shared at the Academy Award Shows. Now the sudden assistance from his hated rival in an emergency knocked him for a loop. He decided to judge friend or foe once they were out of the burning building. Mickey reached for the right door, but the rabbit sidestepped in his way. The mouse moved toward the left door, but Bugs blocked him again. Mickey scowled angrily.

"I don't have time for this! The building is on fire!" Mickey shouted, hardly exceeding the alarm's volume. Bugs advanced towards Mickey, purposely going toe to toe with him, making him back away from the doors.

"Eh, I wouldn't worry 'bout dat. We've got time to spare." Bugs insisted, leading Mickey under a sprinkler. 'Make him open the briefcase, and then we will have our revenge.' Suddenly the fire alarm silenced itself, leaving only a faint ringing in the toons' ears. The sprinklers' water pressure trickled down to a slow drip.

"What's up wit' that?" Bugs wondered, staring up at the sprinkler.

"Maybe the fire fighters are already here." Mickey guessed. Then the mouse got the idea to take advantage of the confusion. He tried to tiptoe around Bugs and make a break for it. But the rabbit roughly shoved the briefcase at Mickey's chest. It knocked the air out of him. "What do you want?" Mickey wheezed.

"Open it." Bugs ordered. The mouse carefully looped his fingers around the case handle. He flipped the bronze clasps up with his left thumb. Mickey cautiously opened the briefcase just a crack. An aroma fumed out of the briefcase, invading the mouse's nose. It had a thick chemical smell that was so strong it seemed to stick to his sinuses. The mouse instantly assumed he held a poison or chemical weapon, and threw the briefcase aside. It flew wide open as the hinges hit the floor. To the toons' horror, green acid exploded from the briefcase like an erupting geyser. After spouting upward, the acid flowed out in a puddle that slowly ate away at the floor below. Mickey and Bugs dashed to the nearest chairs to get away. However they feared it wouldn't save them for long. If the Dip cannon armed briefcase didn't stop releasing Dip, the floor and every animated object upon it would dissolve into nothing. Luckily the geyser died down into the puddle, and the Dip ate its way through the animated materials, to the natural Earth. The puddle itself was the size of a small sofa. Mickey and Bugs crept down from their perches to investigate. Looking over the mess of Dip, Mickey caught a glimpse of the briefcase floating in the paint remover concoction. He began to think of how the authorities would remove the Dip before it destroyed Town Hall's whole foundation. Then he thought of Bugs... the conniving rabbit.

"I can't believe it." Mickey awed. His eyes darted away from the Dip, and glared through Bugs. "You're the one behind all this!" He accused.

"What?!" Bugs exclaimed.

"Yeah! It's so obvious now! You made the Dip, murdered all those toons, bribed the weasels into helping you so Disney would look bad, and now you're trying to kill me! You were the Judge all along!" Mickey ranted. In a split second, Bugs' hands shot for Mickey's throat.

"Listen here, ya pathetic ink stain. I ain't the Judge, and I ain't no moiderer." Bugs hissed through clenched teeth. "Now you and I both know who da real Judge is. So why don't ya cough up da truth, and tell me why ya put Dip in my house?" The rabbit jerked Mickey's jaw toward the Dip. "And I suggest you do it now, while I'm still asking nicely." He warned. Mickey trembled in the rabbit's grip. In the past Mickey had seen Bugs be a bully, a show off, and a threat to the mouse's popularity. But never had he imagined Bugs becoming this psychopath, making a threat on his life. Mickey would have said something, anything to keep his skin, had it not been for the heart stopping click he only heard in movies. Both the toons' pairs of highly sensitive ears heard the click. They turned their heads towards the sound, and beheld a short human toon wearing a trench coat and a hat that covered his eyes. Bugs' ink boiled at the sight of the familiar stranger. But he didn't lash out at him. The deceitful stranger's non-toon pistol, undoubtedly loaded with Dip, kept the rabbit still and silent.

"Surprised Bugs?" The baritone voice cracked. Bugs deemed that permission to speak. He released Mickey, and took a step towards the trench coat toon.

"Yeah! So what's yer beef wit' me? Him, I get." Bugs spat, jabbing his thumb at Mickey. "But whaddya wanna kill da both of us for?" He demanded.

"Not just you two." The stranger growled. "I want revenge on all the big name colored toons. All the toons before were a trial run. Now you big shots are gonna get it for stepping on me! Making the world forget me!"

"And you are...?" Bugs mocked.

"You don't remember me, Bugsy." The stranger croaked, his voice going hoarse. "But when I was king of laughter..." His voice squeaked to new volumes. "I talked..." And higher. "JUST, LIKE," And higher. "THIIIIISS!" The toon screeched. Finally he threw his hat down on the floor, revealing his full face. Bugs flinched as the biggest, scariest, most disturbing, head bursting, black eyes he'd ever seen stared into his soul.

"Buddy?!" He exclaimed.

December 18, 1983 7:13 pm

"His name's Oswald."

"How'd _you_ know?" Bugs queried. He was sure their missing rabbit's true name would surprise the mouse. But Mickey was already caught up to speed.

"Here." Mickey showed Bugs the index. Bugs read over the same lines Mickey had.

"Looks like we found da same t'ing." Bugs noted, putting his book on the table. "The foist four pages are an ovah glorified account of Felix the Cat's existence. Den we get dis." The rabbit pointed to a paragraph, reading along. "Walt Disney, a young cartoon producer from California, was in New York loirnin' th' unhappy news dat his distributah was forcin' him ta relinquish control of 'Oswald', a series he'd created. Outta dis poisonal calamity a new mouse character was developed." Bugs thus far quoted. "And yadda yadda about Steamboat Willie. Sound and color and such in da thoidies... all animators' previous woiks becoming obsolete and forgotten." The rabbit summed up.

"This is starting to sound very familiar." Mickey thought out loud. "What else does it say about Oswald?"

"I'd have ta read t'rough da whole book. But..." Bugs began, running his thumb over the fanned out pages. "It doesn't look like dere's any torn pages. So dis book's gotta have more to tell about th' lucky rabbit." Bugs reasoned.

"That's great." Mickey said. The rabbit plopped down in the chair Mickey previously occupied, propped his feet up on the table, and continued silently reading.

"By th' way Mouse, anyt'ing ya wanna ask da receptionist about dat shredded book, ya bettah ask quick." The rabbit advised.

"Why?" Mickey questioned.

"Because we've still got time to kill till we can use the next code. Which means dat any second now, a plot device is gonna come in, redirect our attention before we loirn too much, and fast forward da story by two hours." Bugs explained in detail. Mickey looked skeptically at him.

"Bugs, that's..." The mouse trailed off. Something in the air felt different, as if they were being watched. He searched for spying eyes around the library. The walls slowly revealed many. Faces of Chernabog's assorted bat, pig, wolf, and reptilian like minions stretched out of the blue sheetrock. Their yellow eyes all locked on Mickey. "Bugs?" Mickey nudged.

"On my mark, we jump inta th' portable hole." Bugs stated calmly. He never took his eyes off the book. Then he pulled a perfectly edible, never chewed upon, carrot from behind his back, and threw it on the floor. The strange act signaled Mickey to look down. The mouse saw the carrot disappear into the portable hole placed under the table. Bugs turned the page, paying no mind to the demons that crawled out of the wall. Mickey clung to Bugs' chair. He wanted to trust in his friend's plan, but those demons were getting too close for comfort. Then Bugs took a black marker out of his invisible shirt pocket, and scribbled BB on his white glove. Instantly the toons dove under the table. Mickey scrambled into the portable hole first, followed by Bugs and a horde of devilish creatures. The mouse heard their screeching and hissing behind him. He focused and willed the toon gag to propel them faster to the location Bugs chose. The force moving him through the portable hole suddenly dropped Mickey in a pile of dirt. He lifted his head, trying to pick out any familiar features of his surroundings. The land and everything around him was pitch black, but the sky held a grey/blue shade and sparkled with the light of a thousand stars. Mickey's ears twitched at the sound of a fabric ripping in half. He sat up and turned around. A beam of light shined from a flashlight that someone waved around in the air. That someone stomped in the dirt, then picked up the mutilated black half circle, and tore it into smaller pieces. Mickey smirked at the telltale rabbit ears wildly flapping as the toon overdramatically covered their tracks. The flashlight stopped thrashing everywhere, and aimed its light at Mickey. "Dere. Dey won't be following us anywhere." Bugs panted. Mickey dusted himself off.

"Where are we?" The mouse asked. Bugs shoved a beige cowboy hat over Mickey's ears, and crowned himself with one. Mickey's hat didn't quite fit his head and it tipped over his eyes.

"In the great Lone Star state." Bug answered enthusiastically. Mickey lifted the large hat off his head.

"That's great, but why are we here?" Mickey inquired. With Bugs' cheerful and festive mood after a narrow escape, Mickey figured there had to be a reason.

"Because Cheese-for-Brains, we are now on Central time. Which means you may now set your watch to da local time of 9:17 pm. How's dat for 'unique perspective'?" The rabbit boasted. Mickey's jaw dropped in surprise. It was a crazy idea. It could even ruin Walt's carefully designed quest that took months to create. But then again, Walt said most of the journey would take place in Toontown. He never said they couldn't leave Toontown.

"Bugs, you're a mad genius." Mickey beamed. The mouse brought the snow globe out of his hammerspace whilst Bugs shined the flashlight down on the space between them.

"Zero, one, zero, nine, two, eight." Bugs reminded. Mickey keyed in the numbers as he heard them. The glass globe illuminated with the light of twinkling snowflakes, giving the toons a soft white glow around their faces. Walt's message began.

"Minnie and the others have been taken hostage in the Dunes of N'Wraco Rocco. You'll need a camel to find your way. He'll keep you on a steady track heading for water. Finally meet your rival who has sent phantoms to destroy you. Remember, to use your wits, Mickey. The safety of your friends is more important than revenge. And as for Bugs, well I don't expect you to help in the least bit. The next code is 122627."

Still the snow globe blew its snow storm in place of where a picture should appear. Mickey pondered the last digit. Seven, as in the year 1927. Maybe there was an even deeper history than the tragedy of 1928 he was meant to learn. Or maybe Walt was just sticking with the Alice Comedies premiere dates.

"Nuh-Racko Rocko?" Bugs sounded out. "Never been there." Mickey felt his stomach flip and slam against his side. That was a place he wished he could forget.

"Trust me. You'll hate it more than Two Tone Town." Mickey murmured. He wanted to think he couldn't believe Walt would ask them to go there. But Walt had asked them to do worse that same day. So Mickey believed it. He knew well they were not avoiding this clue or any other. No matter how frightening, dangerous, or crude the challenge, they would go. Especially with Minnie and company trapped at the hands of Chernabog. The image fueled Mickey with determination. "C'mon! Let's go!" Mickey commanded, as he threw a new portable hole on the ground, and jumped in. However, Bugs' feet stayed planted in the dirt. He paused a moment to weigh his options.

"Follow the mouse into a new level of Hell... or call it a night?" Bugs contemplated. The silent desert argued for neither side of the coin. So Bugs drew a heavy sigh, and chose the former.


	26. Unknown Scarem Part 2

July 1, 1956

"So you _do_ know me?" Buddy giggled. Bugs cringed at the sickening sound.

"Yeah, J.B. talked about you once. Said you were an egotist and a pain ta woik with." Bugs shot back. Buddy was taken aback by the comment. He'd been ridiculed by many of the Warner Brothers' staff in the past. But just for a second he hoped one of them had spoken of the talent he possessed that so few had understood. However he was shot down again, no doubt in favor of the colored toons. Now justice would be carried out for all disrespected and forgotten inkblots. He'd make the rabbit watch the Disney star die a slow and agonizing death, then listen to him beg 'The Judge' not to do the same thing to him. Buddy aimed his weapon at Mickey. "Hey Doc, ya don't wanna do dat." Bugs advised in a sing-song voice.

"Why not?" Buddy challenged.

"T'ree toons go in. One toon comes out. No fire. A Dip crater in da floor. Somebody's gonna figure you out." Bugs explained. Buddy's pupils grew wider and trembling white dots floated inside them.

"Oh, but Officer, it was terrible. First they were arguing. Then Bugs Bunny fired this gun that sprayed Dip everywhere. It hit Mickey Mouse dead on. But before Bugs could come after me, Mickey grabbed Bugs' legs and dragged him down in the Dip. They fought each other like savages even down to their dying breath. I'm lucky to be alive." Buddy whimpered. His eyes returned to their murderous stare. "C'mon. Who wouldn't believe that?" He sneered. Bugs gave no hint of fear. He lunged at Buddy unveiling a knight's sword. The inkblot laughed at the rabbit's ignorance. An animated sword was no match for Dip bullets. To his surprise the sword began to shake without Bugs' control and emit a high pitch tune like a slide whistle. Bugs shrugged his shoulders as the sword jerked him closer towards Buddy.

"Just an idea the boys've been passin' around th' studio." Buddy fired off a shot, but Bugs swung his arm to intercept the bullet with the sword. The bullet combusted on impact and its Dip filling flowed out onto the blade. Bugs dropped the decomposing sword that whistled a final tune of Taps. The rabbit looked over his shoulder at Mickey, who stood scared stiff in the line of fire. Then Bugs whipped out a giant horseshoe magnet. This he hoped would disarm Buddy. Bugs aimed the magnet at the gun. But Buddy refused to let go. He put all of his weight into holding himself and the gun in place. Then Bugs got a sly look on his face. He threw the magnet over his head. Instead of the force of magnetism breaking, it dragged the gun and Buddy with the magnet, and sent them flying into the back wall. Buddy's oversized cranium slammed against the wall first, making his flattened face slide down to the floor painfully slow. Four white birds fluttering over his head clued that he was out cold. Mickey watched the whole scene wide eyed. A tap on his shoulder made Mickey about jump out of his skin. His heart slowed when he saw it was only Bugs. The Looney Tune put a genuinely friendly hand on Mickey's shoulder. Both the toons felt disoriented as the shocking ordeal suddenly stopped, and thankfully they were still alive. "C'mon Doc. Let's get outta here." Bugs said.

December 18, 1983 9:17 pm CST / 7:17 pm PST

Mickey jumped out of the portable hole, and slid down a hill of animated sand. The desert sun was setting in this sector, giving the dunes a pink glow. Bugs emerged behind him, tore up the portable hole, and glided down with his heels dragging in the slope. The rabbit eyed a village ahead of them. The impressively tall buildings were all made of red rocks and mud. Colorful shade canopies hung over every window and doorway. And the villagers bustled about in some sort of market place, taking down their shacks for the night. So far, Bugs saw nothing intimidating about the place. Then his beta-carotene enhanced vision caught the distinct face of one of the villagers. The plump human toon had unnaturally black skin, oversized pink lips, and two buck teeth. Bugs held his breath for a second. 'Well dere's one in ev'ry toon crowd.' He thought. During the height of Jim Crow laws that was true. Though in recent years Bugs had noticed a distinct decrease in blackface toons walking about in public, for obvious reasons. But then the plump negro man walked passed a group of Native Americans prancing by like deer. They were drawn extremely skinny with braided black hair and potato sized noses. Then Bugs focused on more faces and saw familiar even some anxiety causing snapshots of the past. Leaving the village was a Japanese man identifiable by his oversized teeth and undersized eyes. He pushed a wooden wheelbarrow covered in a black tarp out into the desert wasteland, constantly looking over his shoulder as he went. Bugs forcibly stopped a few flashbacks before they began.

"Gad! Why do we still have toons like dat around?" Bugs blurted.

"Because toons don't die, and neither does history." Mickey solemnly replied. Bugs sat down in the sand, resting his arms on his knees.

"Alright, sorry." Bugs muttered.

"It's alright. Besides, I should've told you about this place instead of just plunging in." Mickey apologized.

"No time like da present, Doc." Bugs passed off. "So what? Do dey all live here?"

"No. And no one's keeping them here either. N'Wraco Rocco was built for toons representing any unwanted minority. So when they were finished with their one and only cartoon, they could come here instead of as the deed stated 'harass the white American majority; toons and humans alike'." Mickey recalled. He remembered that fact since he was on the town council; before he was mayor. "I was already on the fence about Toontown segregating inkblots from colored toons, since I was 'born' into the first group, so to speak. But with this place, I was convinced we did the right thing." He sulked.

"And ya didn't." Bugs predicted.

"We put the most hated toons in our young history all in one place to live. Toons who were drawn to be dimwits, savages, monsters, and terrorists. We shunned them, and gave them no reason to be anything besides what we saw on screen. That is why this place is so dangerous. It is the Babylon of Toontown." Mickey explained.

"What about da ones dat _don't_ live here?" Bug inquired.

"They're anywhere they want to be." Mickey answered simply. "N'Wraco Rocco is not a prison. It's a choice lifestyle; always has been. Anyone who stays in N'Wraco Rocco chooses to be the stereotype they were drawn to represent, and nothing else." Bugs silently absorbed the information. Eventually he spoke up.

"We're gonna stand out like a couple-a sore thumbs, goin' in dere." He pointed out.

"Yeah. But I think I've got an idea how we can disguise ourselves." Mickey pondered.

Moments later Mickey and Bugs strode into the village wearing black hooded cloaks that shrouded their faces, minus their white eyes, in a pitch black shadow. They kept their heads bowed, not making eye contact with anyone. Yes, the old black cloak cliché worked just as well as Groucho glasses. No toon ever bothered or suspected the shadowy cloaked figure, especially when no one else around was wearing a cloak.

"Where d'ya expect us ta find a camel, Mac?" Bugs whispered.

"I don't know. I've never stepped foot in this place before." Mickey breathed. They turned down an alleyway between buildings. Out of the corner of his eye Bugs caught two blackface dogs and three turban adorned Arab toons making some sort of covert trade.

"Wit' all da negative poisonalities around here, its a wonder how anyone gets along." Bugs muttered.

"They don't." Mickey clarified. As if on cue, a big ruckus broke out behind them. The toons undoubtedly at each others' throats, hollered and swore in half human half animal languages. Bugs felt bits of sand hit his cloaked shoulders. He began to turn around to investigate just what kind of dust cloud the locals were stirring up. But Mickey grabbed Bugs' hand. "Just keep walking." He urged. So they continued on without even a glance at the violent crime behind them. The sun fell below the horizon, and even more suspicious characters crawled out of the woodworks. Mickey and Bugs agreed they had to flee the village quickly, before they were found out. Of course their main obstacle was directions to a caravan camel. Neither of them knew the area, and if they asked for directions they would instantly expose themselves as outsiders.

"Maybe we should rest a second, Doc." Bugs suggested. Mickey nodded. He followed Bugs' silhouette under a flaming torch perched against a red rock wall. The torches littered the sandy roads like lampposts. Mickey sat down on his cloak, momentarily showing his round yellow shoes. Bugs leaned his back and one foot to the wall, keeping his guard up. N'Wraco Rocco was finally starting to settle down. Despite the ink thirsty toons prowling around the shadows all night, Bugs thought they'd found one corner of the village that actually slept peacefully. He could even hear the distant sound of crickets chirping.

"I sure hope they're okay." Mickey mumbled. One of Bugs' ears twitched towards Mickey.

"Your kids?" Bugs assumed.

"Everyone." Mickey answered. "Minnie, the kids, Pluto, Donald, Daisy, Donald's boys, Clarabelle, Goofy, and Horace. I can't imagine what's happened to them out here since yesterday."

"They'll be fine. Walt wouldn't put 'em t'rough anythin' too traumatizing. In fact I bet my left foot they're standin' at th' top of a wattahfall right now." The rabbit joked.

"Bugs, that's not funny." Mickey stated. Bugs twitched his whiskers stubbornly.

"Look Doc, who's unique poispective and poiseverance got ya dis far?" Bugs quizzed.

"Yours." Mickey droned.

"Right. So don't t'ink I don't know me adventure stories when I say ya haven't faced anyt'ing ya couldn't overcome yet, and ya won't." Bugs lectured. "Gee, you'd t'ink I wouldn't have ta tell ya ta 'keep moving forward'. You're losin' your touch, Mouse." He added.

"Not to be rude Bugs, but isn't this the clue where you're not supposed to help?" Mickey questioned. Bugs kicked him lightly in the side.

"Fine smart-tail. You wanna find yer family so bad? Go get us a way ta move forward." The rabbit dared.

"Bruno... Oh, Bruno..." A childish voice hollered. Mickey and Bugs shot up on the alert for trouble. But all they saw was a lanky white and brown patched dog running on all fours towards them. The dog put his paws up on Mickey's shoulders and licked his face. It was so strange. Besides the dog coming out of nowhere, Mickey could have sworn it was Pluto at first glance. They had practically the same body shape aside from Pluto's thin ears and bump on his head. They both had string thin tails and plain collars that hung loosely around their skinny necks. Alas, it wasn't him.

"Down boy. Get down." Mickey told off before the dog's tongue could flip the hood off his head.

"Bruno! Get ovah heah!" The dog's owner commanded. Bruno the dog happily bounded back to his master. The small figure stepped into the torch light, revealing himself to be an African American child. He wore a straw hat, a white shirt, blue overalls, and tan shoes. He had a round baby face, and one tooth in the middle of his upper gum. His lips were lined with the slightest peach color. For a stereotype, Mickey had to admit this boy was the cutest one he'd ever seen. "I'm sorry misters. Bruno dun mean ta jump all ovah ya like that. He jus' a dumb mutt. Tha's all." The kid apologized.

"No worries, Mac. Now run along." Bugs dismissed.

"I shore will. G'night." The boy saluted. As he and the dog went on their way, the boy started reciting a tuneless song.

"Oh, the camel feeds at the early dawn. At early dawn the camel feeds. And as shore as I walk on two dadgum feet, I got's too many camels ta feed." The disguised toons turned their heads towards the boy. Mickey was optimistic, where Bugs was skeptical.

"Hey kid. Wait a minute." Mickey called. Bugs stomped on the mouse's cloak before he could go chasing after the boy.

"What're ya doin'?" Bugs scolded. Mickey pulled the cloak out from under Bugs' foot.

"He said he's got camels." Mickey explained.

"Yeah, how convenient." Bugs agreed sarcastically. "Sounds a little too shady for me, Doc."

"Oh c'mon Bugs. What harm could he do us? He looks like a toddler." Mickey persuaded.

"'Look' is da key woid here, my friend. If it were anyone else in dis wacky town, you'd turn tail n' run. Face it. Yer just trustin' him 'cause he's cute and he's got a puppy." Bugs badgered. Mickey didn't get a word in edgewise. The boy had returned.

"Is you sayin' somethin' ta me, misters?" The boy asked. The two cloaked figures stood silent. Bugs folded his arms, begrudgingly signaling to Mickey to do whatever he wanted.

"You wouldn't happen to know where we could rent a few camels, would you?" Mickey questioned.

"Oh yes, sir! My pappy drive the camel train ev'ry day!" The boy exclaimed. "Where's you fixin' ta go?"

"Is there a water source close by? A lake? A river?" Mickey asked.

"You mean the River Wog?" The boy guessed.

"Yeah, we've got an escort out there waiting for us." Mickey fabricated.

"Uh-uh. You dun wanna go out there. Since two days 'go there been this bandit a-comin' and goin' from a shack on the far riverside, an' he shoot'chu if ya come near." The boy warned. 'That's gotta be where Chernabog's keeping Minnie.' Mickey thought.

"We have to go." Mickey insisted. "But if you don't want to help us along the way, we understand. It's probably too dangerous for a tyke like you anyway." Bugs raised an eyebrow at Mickey's sly trick.

"Whah? Too dangerous? For me?" The boy gasped. "I take a stroll in the dunes all de time. Ain't nothin' out there scares me. C'mon! I show ya the way." He turned around with his dog in tow. Mickey looked to Bugs before following the boy through a new ally. Bugs dragged his feet behind them.

"I don't like where this is going." The rabbit groaned.

The boy lead Mickey and Bugs to the outskirts of the village where he lived. From what Bugs could see in the dark, the boy's house was a mud and rock structure the size of a one bedroom apartment. Outside the house, two inkblot dromedary camels were tied to a wooden post. No where did Bugs see a sign or any indicator that the boy's father ran a business. The boy sent his dog inside, and untied the camels. He then explained how his dad had assigned him to solely care for the camels, which the boy used as an excuse to take the camels and his guests out into the desert any time he pleased. Bugs shook his head when Mickey completely bought the kid's story. The boy threw a rug and saddle on one camel's back rather carelessly. The camel didn't appreciate the rough handling. So it stretched its long neck back, and bit the boy's hand. The boy yowled and shook his hand. In the blur of the boy's hand flapping around, Bugs saw the biggest red flag of all. For a fraction of an instant Bugs saw the boy's bare hand morph into a rubber tube fingered, white opera gloved hand. But before Bugs could question it, the new hand in the white glove vanished. That drew the line for Bugs. He grabbed Mickey's arm and lead him a good distance away while the boy was distracted.

"Ow, Bugs. What're ya doing?" Mickey whined. He freed himself of Bugs' grip.

"Dis is no legitimate camel caravan business." Bugs hissed. "I don't know what, but somethin' screwy's goin' on around here."

"I know. I know a few things look a little shifty." Mickey placated. Bugs _hmph_ ed at the understatement. "But if he'll lead us to Minnie and the others, what does it matter to us?"

"It matters plenty, Doc!" Bugs snapped. "It matters if Cabbage Patch Kid over dere ain't as trustwoithy as he looks."

"This again?" Mickey complained. "Bugs there's no sense arguing over this. We need his help if we're gonna find everybody tonight." He reasoned. "Unless you wanna start the search up in the morning. I doubt they have hotels in a place like this." Bugs glared at the mouse. If there was one thing in N'Wraco Rocco that set him on edge more than that boy, it was every other toon they came across that night. There was no way Bugs was sleeping on the streets with such company always lurking close by. Bugs huffed and waved a little white flag in his fist. Mickey nodded in satisfaction. The toons walked back to the boy and the tacked up camels. Bugs mounted the first camel while it laid on its belly in the sand. Then the boy instructed the camel to stand up. Bugs lurched forward as the camel stretched out its hind legs, and backwards when the camel heightened in the front. Mickey mounted the last camel the same way, although he experienced much less whiplash. The boy tied Mickey's camel's bridal to Bugs' camel's saddle with a long rope. He proceeded to take the rope dangling from the head camel's bridal, which once secured it to the post, and lead them out into the dunes. Bugs scanned the open landscape. For miles and miles the dunes rolled on into darkness. The moon above shined some light on the sands, though not much. Minutes of dead silence slowly ticked away, making Bugs even more uneasy. He looked down at their short navigator. The boy hadn't spoken a word since they left his home. Bugs decided to pass the time with conversation.

"Hey, Mouse?" Bugs spoke up.

"What is it, Bugs?" Mickey responded.

"I was just wondering... wherever dis chaptah ends..." The rabbit strung out.

"Yeah?" Mickey implored.

"You t'ink we oughta say somethin' on behalf of the author? Like..." Bugs continued in his most proper English. "The descriptions of African American, Native American, Japanese, and Arabic toons were products of a different time, and not products of the author's imagination. Therefore, the author does not support these stereotypes and is not a racist." Bugs paused. "Whadya t'ink ah dat?"

"Well, I think we already showed that early on without spelling it out." Mickey answered. "But that was very well rehearsed." He complimented.

"T'anks Doc." Bugs smiled. The rabbit's attention drifted back to their camel driver. "Hey, kid? How far till we reach da river?" He heard no reply. Bugs looked side to side for the boy, but couldn't quite see around the camel's tall neck. Then Bugs got the idea to tug on the camel's rope. That would get the kid's attention. So Bugs pulled a carrot out from behind his back, and waved it as close as he could to the camel's mouth. He made clicking noises with his tongue to entice the beast. Just as planned, the camel curved his neck to reach for the carrot. Bugs drew the carrot back and the camel's big nose followed. Finally Bugs grasped the rope under the camel's chin and rewarded the beast with the bait. Bugs wove the rope through his fingers and yanked. The rope on the other end felt unusually lax. He gathered more of the rope in his hand... and more... and more... until Bug's thumb brushed over the rope's end. 'Uh-oh.' The rabbit immediately shouted "WHOA CAMEL!" and the camels stumbled into a frozen stance. They were only walking three miles per hour.

"What's the matter?" Mickey cried.

"He's gone." Bugs exclaimed. The toons dismounted the camels like they would horses, which was a farther drop than the rabbit expected. Getting his footing in the loose sand, Bugs summoned a flashlight from his hammerspace. He shined the light in front of the camels' path and to the sides. "Now where do you suppose he could've run off to?" Bugs asked no one in particular.

"Who says he ran?" A voice in the dark chimed. Bugs' first instinct was to believe it was Mickey. But something didn't sound right. The voice sounded closer to Mickey from the early thirties. Close, but not exact. This voice had a twang to it. Bugs took a chance.

"Did you say something, Doc?" Bugs called. He cautiously turned on his heel. What the flashlight caught just a few yards away, spooked him. Bugs almost dropped the flashlight in shock. An inkblot toon (maybe he was a monkey with a dog nose) stood behind Mickey, covering the mouse's mouth with a white gloved hand. The other hand hovered inches from Mickey's neck, holding a glass drinking flask. Inside, the green fluid Bugs dared not doubt was real Dip, sloshed up and down. Bugs' voice finally passed the lump in his throat. "W-what's up, Doc?"

"It's funny you say that. 'Cause that'll be the last time you say those famous words once I'm through with him." The inkblot growled, tipping the flask slightly. Mickey shut his eyes.

"Hold on a second, Doc!" Bugs begged. The inkblot eyed the rabbit warily as he dropped the flashlight in the sand, and replaced it with a carrot. Bugs couldn't deny all the worst predicaments he'd been in were resolved when he ate a carrot. "Ehhh..." Bugs drew out before munching into the carrot. "Got a name, bub?" The inkblot tilted his head in confusion. Was he not threatening the rabbit's life ten seconds ago?

"Uh... Bosko." The inkblot said.

"Bosko." Bugs repeated. "What've ya got against da mouse, Bosko?" He interviewed. Bosko's dot eyes slanted with anger again. His teeth clenched together.

"Ask Buddy!" He barked, jabbing the flask into Mickey's neck.


	27. Rickety Unknown

"Ask Buddy!" He barked, jabbing the flask into Mickey's neck. The mouse's eyes shot open. Just as the bottle skimmed his fur, a shimmering red energy shielded his arms and neck. Bosko released Mickey in surprise. The flask fell in the sand and poured out its contents. Mickey faced Bosko as his magic robe fully developed around him. Bosko held his hands up defensively. But Mickey didn't take any chances with him. The sorcerer's apprentice telepathically latched onto Bosko by the shirt collar, and hoisted him into the air. This startled the camels and they ran off into the night. "Whoa! Whoa! What's going on?!" Bosko screamed. Mickey calmly kept his focus on the levitating toon.

"Slick move, Mouse." Bug commented. "But I coulda had ya outta dat fix in a snap." He bluffed. Mickey's eyes never left the inkblot. Bugs shuffled over to Mickey's side. Closer up, he could see a round bald spot on Mickey's neck with a wet glimmer around the edge. Bugs scrutinized the strange mark. "You feeling okay, Doc?" Bugs asked. Mickey felt a cooling sensation on his neck, like Aloe Vera to a burn. From Bugs' perspective, he saw the afflicted area glow light blue, before reanimating the missing patch of fur. Mickey scratched his neck, and found a speck of pure ink rubbed off on his glove.

"This is False Dip." Mickey realized. His attention turned back to Bosko. "Where did you get this?" He demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know." He sneered. Mickey let his telepathic powers slip. Bosko yelped as the force suspending him suddenly let go. The inkblot fell like a rock only to be flipped upside down and caught by the ankle a mere inch before biting the sand. Mickey willed the inkblot to float above their heads, spring down face first in the sand, and repeat the motion as if he were on a yoyo string.

"Wow. You're maniacal when you're mad." Bugs observed.

"Do you know who this is, Bugs?" Mickey questioned, still watching Bosko spring up and down.

"Bosko the Talk-Ink Kid, the foist of us Looney Tunes, and one of Buddy's most loyal followers back in th' day. But dat's all I care to know." Bugs reported.

"Well he's supposed to be serving a life sentence behind bars for murder and conspiring to murder during Buddy's rein as The Judge in the '50's." Mickey informed. "He's been on the run for almost eleven years."

"You stay up to date with Toontown's most wanted list?" Bugs wondered.

"The police commissioner of Mouseton and I are close. He keeps me in the know about these things." Mickey explained. Mickey lifted his hand, pausing the spell on Bosko. The mouse mentally pulled Bosko closer so they saw eye to upside down eye. "Now where were we?" Mickey mocked. Bosko coughed a whole sandcastle out of his mouth before speaking.

"You'll never get me to squeal doin' tricks like that. No one's ever broken me." Bosko grunted. Bugs began to circle Bosko.

"Den how about a bargain?" Bugs offered.

"Whadd'ya mean?" Bosko queried.

"You tell us somet'ing we don't know. We tell you somet'ing you don't know." Bugs spelled out.

"And how do I know you'll tell me something worth knowing when I'm in the big house?" Bosko mistrusted. Bugs whispered in Bosko's ear.

"Who says yer goin' back dere? C'mon Bruddah. One Looney Tune to anothah." Bugs tempted. The inkblot didn't even pretend to be fooled. Bosko tried to bite Bugs' face, but the rabbit scooted out of reach.

"Forget it, Bugs. He's not gonna tell us anything." Mickey gave in. He dropped Bosko on his head, and turned his back to him. Bugs instinctively stomped his foot on Bosko's back so he couldn't run away or easily use his hammerspace. The mouse held his hands flat palmed above his head and lowered them in a rainbow shape. A round portal bursting with blue and white light appeared before him. Bosko looked up to see the flashing blue soften into a clear picture. The view moved from left to right, getting the whole picture of a police precinct behind bars. Then the perspective shifted downward to the viewers hands. Two opera gloved hands linked together in toon proof cuffs, laid limply on a toon's lap. Bosko gasped when he realized he saw his own future. He kicked and thrashed, trying to get away. "Okay, Bugs. Let him go." Mickey permitted. The rabbit picked Bosko up by his shirt, and launched him horizontally through the portal. Mickey closed the portal immediately. Bugs prepared to say something, but cut himself off when he remembered the flashlight he dropped. He wandered a few feet away, picked it up, and shined it at the ground between he and the mouse.

"Eh, too bad ya couldn't get anythin' outta dat jailboid." Bugs sighed.

"Actually I did." Mickey replied. "You won't believe this, but I read his mind." Bugs raised an eyebrow at Mickey in his sorcerer's apprentice robe. Truthfully he had no reason to doubt Mickey; especially since that was far from the craziest thing he'd heard all day.

"And dat's normal for you isn't it?" Bugs figured.

"No. I've never mastered this power before. Or even practiced it." Mickey admitted. "But I heard his thoughts, honest."

"Alright. So what did he think?" Bugs inquired.

"He regretted buying False Dip from quote, unquote, a giant rat of all toons." Mickey relayed.

"Dat could be literal or figurative." The rabbit noted. "Anyt'ing else?"

"No." Mickey answered. The mouse walked passed Bugs, in the direction the camels were set to go. "We should keep going." He prompted. Bugs joined him, lighting the way.

"To da River Wog?" Bugs questioned.

"That was the plan all along." Mickey confirmed.

"And what if Bosko wasn't kiddin' about a dangerous bandit out dere?" Bugs continued.

"That's why I'm keeping the robe close." Mickey said. "Why? You're not scared, are ya Bugs?" He teased. Bugs poked at the mouse's neck.

"Hypocrite." He countered.

July 1, 1956

Outside Town Hall, Mickey and Bugs casually sat on a stretcher inside an ambulance. They passed their emergency check up with flying colors, as Bugs stubbornly explained to the paramedics they were 'just fine'. Bugs imagined they were clear to go home after that. But the police told the rabbit and mouse to stay there until two officers came by to interview them. The ambulance's back doors were wide open, letting in a summer breeze. Mickey pulled his thermal blanket tighter around his shoulders as Bugs tossed his aside. Bugs' ears stayed perked up, occasionally twitching to the sounds of police keeping the area clear of civilians, and trying to figure out how to dispose of the toon acid. Before long Bugs' mind began to daydream of everything that had changed in the past hour. For one thing, he was wrong about The Judge. An ambitious stranger he thought he could trust, turned out to be the greatest criminal threat Toontown had ever seen. And another thing, he was wrong about the mouse. Mickey Mouse never did anything to harm him or Toontown. He wasn't responsible for the Dip attack on Bugs, and the rabbit almost Dipped him for it. For the first time, Bugs wondered if his rivalry with the mouse was worth it. Being angry, maybe a little jealous of Mickey's success was reasonable. But that day, the rivalry almost pushed him to do the unthinkable. A truce was in order; but for how long Bugs couldn't say. After all they were two very different minded toons, who may go back to feuding the next time they meet. Bugs paused his inner thoughts when he felt the mouse's eyes on him. He looked down at the mouse, who instantly looked away.

"Mickey?" Bugs addressed. It was the first and likely the last time he ever called the mouse by his first name.

"I, um... wanna say something." Mickey hesitated, keeping his head turned to the right.

"Same here. You go foist." Bugs decided.

"Okay..." Mickey mumbled. He took a deep breath. "Thank you." Bugs eyed him wryly, thinking he'd misheard the mouse. Mickey slowly looked up to Bugs. "Thank you for saving my life back there." He said meekly.

"You're welcome." Bugs acknowledged. "And..." He began. The guilt building up inside him, made every word much more difficult to say out loud. "I'm sorry..."

"It's okay. I understand why you did it." Mickey accepted.

"About da baseball." Bugs finished.

"...What?" Mickey queried.

"Sorry I walloped ya wit' a baseball all dose years ago." Bugs clarified. "Sorry for dat and everyt'ing since. I really let it go too far." He summed up. Mickey silently took the information in. He never expected to hear an apology for that night in a million years.

"We both did." Mickey agreed. The toons let a giant weight fall off their shoulders. It became a little bit easier to breathe so close to each other, knowing neither had the desire or energy to backstab one another. Suddenly a shrill voice cried out on the street. Who ever it was, sure was making a fuss. Bugs bolted to the edge of the ambulance to investigate. He curled his toes over the bumper, anchored his arm to the outward propped door, and leaned out as far as he could. What he saw a few car lengths away was a band of Toontown police officers struggling to detain a combative Buddy. 'So he finally came around. Too bad.' Bugs thought. Over Buddy's loud resistance, Bugs heard a rugged bull dog officer read 'The Judge' his rights.

"You're under arrest for thirty accounts of murder, and the attempted murder of Mayor Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny..." The bull dog growled.

"Don't forget tampering wit' a fire alarm system, officer!" Bugs cheerfully called. Buddy lifted his head towards Bugs. His oversized eyes locked on the rabbit. He lunged with all his might towards Bugs.

"I'll get you for this, Bugs Bunny! If it's the last thing I do! You think you're safe?! You'll never be safe! Dip is out there now, and it will end you someday! I swear it!" Buddy hollered. Bugs stared Buddy down from a safe distance away, as the officers shoved the homicidal toon inside a black and white police vehicle. Bugs swung back inside the ambulance.

"Gosh, that sounded serious." Mickey spoke up. Bugs looked surprised at him, and sat down beside him once more.

"Nah, I wouldn't worry 'bout it." Bugs waved off. "I've out witted my share of enemies and dat looney bin reject is no different. If he ever shows his ugly mug ta me again, den I'll take care of him meself." He bragged, throwing air punches.

"Couldn't hurt to have a few friends near by too." Mickey implied. Bugs caught on quick.

"And suppose he does come back. Would ya stick up for me den?" The rabbit asked knowingly.

"It'd be a lot easier than fighting with ya." Mickey answered honestly. Bugs nodded amusedly. Then the rabbit offered his hand to Mickey.

"Truce?" Bugs proposed. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, Mickey took Bugs' hand and returned the handshake.

"How about a friendship?" Mickey smiled. But Bugs slid his hand out of the mouse's hold.

"Alright, alright. Don't get too mushy on me, Disney." The rabbit grumbled. Mickey wasn't offended. He even laughed at the retort. Meanwhile, Bugs gave the idea some thought. "Fine. We can be friends on one condition." He reconsidered.

"What's that?" Mickey implored.

"I saved your life today. Now you have ta do somethin' nice for me." Bugs stated. Mickey could agree that was reasonable.

"Okay, name it." The mouse anticipated.

"I wanna go ta Disneyland." Bugs replied. Mickey's mouth gaped open in surprise. He never would have guessed Bugs actually wanted to be surrounded by Disney cast members and Disney fans in an entirely Disney themed location. "I tried goin' last year, but some old cat lady toon stopped me in da parking lot, and told me ta scram or she'd call security on me." Bugs remembered.

"Cat-lady?" Mickey repeated.

"Yeah, wit' da two Siamese at her heels." Bugs described. "Anyway, I didn't expect anyt'ing bettah from da toons inside, so I left."

"I'm really sorry that happened to you." Mickey apologized. "But I don't know if I can prevent that from happening again. You know how possessive some toons can be about studio property."

"Dat's where your good deed comes in." Bugs said. "You get The Big W's permission ta let me in without prejudice." The rabbit instructed.

"You want me to ask _my dad_?!" Mickey gasped.

"Let me have da time of my life at Disneyland for one day, and den we'll call it even." Bugs finished. Mickey's head was spinning with so many conflictions. If he asked Walt, he knew he'd be shot down; especially if Walt heard about what just happened at Town Hall. Mickey would feel so embarrassed in front of Walt just for suggesting such a thing. Then again, if he didn't do this for Bugs, they'd never be friends. And Mickey knew he and Bugs were better off as allies than enemies. "By the way, my sixteenth boithday is comin' up on th' twenty-seventh. So let's arrange my Disneyland day around dat. I'm only toinin' sixteen once." Bugs added. Mickey stared at Bugs incredulously. He got the inkling he was being used somehow.

"Okay, sure." The mouse submitted. "I'll talk to my dad and take ya ta Disneyland on your birthday." Bugs faked a youthful wide eyed look of wonder.

"You mean it? Honest and for true?" The rabbit played.

"Yeah, _pal._ " Mickey bit. "You're something else, Bugs Bunny." The mouse remarked. The Looney Tune grinned.

"I know. Ain't I a stinker?"

December 18, 1983 9:10 pm

The toon duo climbed another dune of the desert. Bugs had abandoned his black cloak a long time ago. But Mickey held tightly to his red robe as he said he would. With their camels and 'guide' gone, they could only trust their guts to navigate them to the river. Half way up their umpteenth sand hill, Bugs' ears shot straight up.

"Hey Doc, ya hear dat?" Bugs called ahead. Mickey stopped climbing a moment to listen. When he heard nothing but wind, he shook his head to Bugs. This only seemed to encourage the rabbit. He dashed passed Mickey up the hill. "Boy, I hope dat's not a mirage!" Bugs cried. Reaching the top, Bugs urgently motioned for Mickey to follow. As Mickey made his way up, the sound of running water became more apparent. "Will ya look at dat?" Bugs pointed out. The downward slope grew more green and plentiful of flora closer to the lazy river below them. On the other side of the grassy river bank stood a single room shed with a yellow light in the window.

"Just like Bosko said." Mickey marveled. The shack's door opened, releasing a rectangle of light and a long shadow on the grass. Bugs shoved Mickey in the sand and pinned him to the ground.

"Hit the doit! He'll see us!" Bugs commanded. The toons froze flat on their stomachs, watching the tall toon silhouette stalk out of the shack. Bugs exercised his night vision to see just what kind of toon was holding Disney hostages. The rabbit noticed features such as round ears, a big pointed nose, and a long thin tail. Then it clicked for Bugs. "I see a rat." He whispered.

"You do?" Mickey asked.

"Yeah. You said someone attacked ya wit' False Dip before?" Bugs questioned. Mickey nodded, remembering the scene at Fruit Cake Lake. "And Walt said you'd meet dat guy in dis clue?" The rabbit went on.

"Pretty much." Mickey confirmed.

"Den I bet it's da same rat dat sold False Dip ta Bosko." Bugs inferred. The silhouette closed the door, and leaned against the dark side of the shack. "He's waitin' for us." Bugs perceived.

"But if a rat is behind all this, what does this have to do with Chernabog?" Mickey wondered.

"No idea. But ya won't figure it out lying down on da job." Bugs advised, patting Mickey on the back. "Go on, save your family. I'll be here." He shooed.

"Doing what?" Mickey queried.

"Not helping. Remember?" Bugs shrugged. Mickey looked back down at the shack where their antagonist stood on guard.

"Actually. There may be one thing you could do." Mickey thought out loud.

 _Later..._

Bugs burrowed speedily under the river, calculating where every landmark would be on the other side; mainly the shack and the target. Bugs paused his digging to expand his narrow tunnel into a small cavern. With his trap set, Bugs reached his hands above ground where he was certain the rat stood, and dragged the target down into the underground pit. The rat screamed and clawed at the upper surface, before Bugs completely submerged him in the sand. Now the rat was trapped in Bugs' territory and in the dark. Needless to say the rat was in for the fight of his life.

Seconds later, the rat's muffled screams signaled Mickey to come out of the shadows. He'd previously teleported to the other side of the river and laid in wait for Bugs' attack. The mouse rushed inside the shack. There wasn't much to the shack's interior except a bed, a table, a lightbulb and a beaded string, and a large mass of something under a black tarp. Mickey ran to the tarp, and pulled it away. To his relief, the gang was all there. They sat in a huddle, bound by toon proof rope around their arms and torsos, aside from Pluto who was tied to everyone else by a rope leash.

"Mickey!" Minnie breathed. Mickey immediately embraced her and stroked the back of her neck.

"It's okay, Min. I'll getcha outta here soon." Mickey comforted. They parted as Mickey searched his hammerspace for something non-animated. "How long have you all been trapped out here?" He asked.

"Five minutes." Peter announced. Mickey breathed a sigh of relief. He'd have to thank Bugs for that two hour head start in Texas. Then the mouse unveiled a very real pair of scissors, and tried to cut through the thick rope. It took some time, but Mickey was able to cut down segments of the braided rope, and made it unravel into more fragile strands. With the last strands snipped, the rope fell loose off Minnie's torso. She stood up and hugged her hero. Mickey returned the hug before continuing to cut four or so more wholes in the web entangling the toons. The ropes ceased to restrict the toons, and slid off their arms. Mickey was then showered in thanks from his friends and family.

"Mickey, you were marvelous!" Clarabelle complimented.

"Yeah, thanks a lot Mickey!" Donald quacked.

"Aarf! Aarf! Aaroooo!" Pluto howled.

"You're welcome everyone. Now let's scram before something goes wrong." Mickey insisted. The Disney toons followed the red robed mouse outside. Mickey prepared to lay a portable hole in the grass, but stopped himself. He looked over his shoulder at the sand they'd just stampeded over. Mickey hurried to the back of the group. "Hey, Bugs! We've gotta go!" He yelled. Bugs emerged from the sand in a spinning grey blur, making a drill sound. When he stilled above ground, mouse children gasped in surprise.

"Bugs Bunny?!" They exclaimed. Bugs smirked at the familiar tone of adoration. The rabbit strutted passed Mickey.

"Allow me, Doc. You picked de last safe haven." Bugs volunteered. He threw a wide oval portable hole in the grass, and jumped in. The rest of the gang followed after him. They descended through the darkness, and landed harshly on a carpeted floor. Bugs scrambled for the light switch. When the lights came on, Mickey could see they were back in Bugs' exotic home. He could see his kids were in awe of the whole place, from the abstract paintings on the walls to the golden carrot themed chandelier in the living room. "Ev'ryone safe, sound, and accounted for?" Bugs questioned.

"Yeah. We're all here. Thanks Bugs." Mickey spoke up. The rabbit caught a glance of a light in the corner of his eye. He looked over his shoulder and found a dim glow upstairs made rows of shadows cascade down the winding white stairwell. Was someone up there, or had he left a light on? Bugs looked back to the mouse getting reacquainted with the Disney gang. Mickey met his eyes. Either Bugs had a telltale face, or the mouse was getting better at his newly discovered mind reading powers. "Is something wrong, Bugs?" Mickey asked. The rabbit shook his head.

"You folks get settled wherever ya like. Mi casa es su casa. I gotta check somet'ing out. Go ahead an' start without me. One, two, two, six, two, seven's da next one, Mouse." With that, the rabbit silently made his way up the stairs. Once he was gone, Peter took the liberty of speaking his and his siblings' minds.

"Dad, I can't believe you're really friends with Bugs Bunny!" The young mouse exclaimed.

"Speaking of which, how did _he_ get involved, Mickey?" Minnie wondered.

"Oh, Walt invited him." Mickey told. "Bugs has been a great help these last two days, and he's minded Walt's instructions well." He assured. The mouse then addressed everyone. "Listen, I know you all have questions, and Bugs and I have a lot to tell you. But I think we need to listen to Walt's next clue before we do anything else. The last time we were separated, Walt gave us a clue just to talk about what we've learned so far. I think he's going to do that again." Mickey reasoned. The toons agreed, and gathered in Bugs' living room. They took their seats on two luxurious couches. Mickey keyed in the numbers Bugs gave him, and set the snow globe down on the coffee table. The fake snowflakes suddenly burst into sparkling flurries racing around the globe. Walt's static filled message commenced.

"Welcome back everyone. Mickey, remember that task to impersonate real police officers? Then you have already passed this clue. I noticed early on that clues ten, fifteen, and seventeen would be very similar. So I combined the last two and hit two birds with one stone. Also I had to give you the officer clue before Minnie could talk some sense into you. Now you may wonder why the clue you're hearing is necessary. It is so, because I need exactly twenty-six clues. Proceed with the next code: 121227. You've entered the turning point, Mickey."

At the end of Walt's recording, Mickey found himself covering his mouth with one hand. His face heated up with embarrassment. The worst crime he'd ever committed in his life could have been swept under the rug. If only Walt hadn't snitched to all of his friends, and even worse, his wife. Mickey didn't dare look at his sweetheart beside him. He could practically feel the steam blowing out her ears.

"Mickey Mouse, what did you do?!" Minnie shrieked.


	28. Mickey's Empty Socks

Bugs crept up the stairwell, following the mysterious light he'd sworn he hadn't turned on himself. At the top of the stairs Bugs entered a sort of sitting room rather than a hallway. The walls were lined with twelve doors, leading to other rooms and wings of the house. Bugs pretended to casually walk circles around the room, when in actuality he was scanning the backs of the red club chairs and sofas for an intruder. Under the cushions would have been a great place for a toon crook to hide, but Bugs didn't test them. He didn't want to give the impression he was on to the intruder, if there was one. Finally Bugs planted himself in a red leather chair next to the mysterious source of light: his tall reading lamp. Bugs sat under the white light listening for the slightest unusual noise. Shallow breathing, a cough, or a heartbeat booming out of a toon's chest, for example. After detecting nothing but silence through his ears, Bugs reached up to the lamp. His thumb and index finger clenched a tiny black knob attached to the pole. He was half a second from switching off the light when suddenly...

"Beep-beep!"

"YAAAHHHH!" The rabbit screamed. He rocketed out of the chair, slamming his front side into the ceiling. During the horror stricken launch, Bugs kicked the lamp to the floor, causing the Road Runner's shadow to rise up the wall. Bugs pealed his ears and face off the ceiling when he heard the bird's cork popping laughter. " _Road_." Bugs growled. "I told ya nevah ta do dat!" He scolded. Bugs let himself fall from the ceiling, back into the chair. "How'd you get in here, Doc? You don't have a key." Bugs interrogated.

"But I do." A higher pitched version of Bugs' voice sounded. Bugs' eyes darted to the left, where he located another toon standing in the doorway across the room. The new toon was a grey rabbit with grey feet, a white belly, blue eyes, and wore nothing but white opera gloves. In short, he was obviously modeled after Bugs with little contrast. The rabbit in the doorway folded his arms, expecting a wave of excuses and apologies. But that response hadn't triggered in Bugs' brain yet.

"Clyde, what're ya doin' here?" Bugs asked.

"I live here." The young rabbit deadpanned. Bugs got out of the chair, and approached his nephew.

"Very funny, kid. I t'aught you weren't supposed ta be back from dat golden age toon convention 'til next Sunday." Bugs said.

"It _is_ next Sunday, Uncle Bugs." Clyde snapped. Bugs stared confusedly at Clyde. Then he frantically whipped a calendar out from behind his back, and flipped to December. Bugs felt the truth hit him like an anvil to the head. The date was Sunday the eighteenth, and the Sunday after that was Christmas day. Discarding the calendar, Bugs nervously scratched the back of his head.

"My, does time fly." He sheepishly replied.

"I waited for you at the airport for _two hours_!" Clyde stressed. "And I called almost everyone we know, and no one had a clue where you were! Then I found out from Sylvester Jr., that you left my cousin on Granny's doorstep before going AWOL! After I got tired of waiting for you, I called Road to take me home. We've been waiting for a sign of life from you all night." Clyde lectured. Bugs felt at a loss for words. 'Sorry' certainly wasn't going to cut it. He looked to the Road Runner.

"Go home, Doc. I can take it from here. T'anks fer sticking around and keepin' an eye on him." Bugs dismissed. The Road Runner gave a nod, and sped off in a blue blur. Meanwhile, Clyde waited once more for an explanation. Bugs had a feeling nothing he said would satisfy Clyde, but he had to try.

"Clyde..." He began. "I'm sorry I forgot about your flight, and I'm sorry ya had ta soich da grapevine tryin' ta find me. I know what dis looks like, and I know ya must be furious wit' me. Ya have a right ta be." Bugs confessed. "But I would never up and leave you two. Yer th' only family I've got." Clyde's stern glare softened.

"So where have you been all this time?" Clyde questioned.

"Oh, just da legendary Toontown Hall of Records, Two Tone Town, th' Indian jungle, Texas, and da crime center of Toontown called N'Wraco Rocco." Bugs listed off. Clyde gave his uncle a skeptical look. "What? Would I lie to you?" Bugs implored. Clyde's expression did not change. "Hmph! Well if I'm lying, den Mickey Mouse is _not_ in our living room." Bugs bet.

"Mickey Mouse! What did you do?!" shrieked a feminine voice from downstairs. Clyde's mouth gaped open, while Bugs proudly held his head high.

"Mickey Mouse?" Clyde inquired. Bugs patted the young rabbit's shoulder.

"Trust me, Nephew. It's been a long exciting day. Go to yer room, and I'll tell ya all about it after I check on da situation downstairs." Bugs promised. Clyde obeyed, exiting through the door he'd entered. Bugs then sprinted down the winding staircase to join the Disney gang and face whatever chaos the snow globe caused. The rabbit swerved around the corner, discovering his guests were practically frozen with fear, at the sight of Minnie and Mickey going toe to toe.

"You know, I can imagine you doing a lot of crazy things if Walt told you to, but committing a crime?! I can't believe you stooped this low, Mickey!" Minnie yelled.

"Hey, I did not stoop low enough to do this! I didn't commit the crime willingly. I was just following orders!" Mickey shouted.

"Oh, and what exactly were Walt's orders?" Minnie challenged.

"I had to disguise myself as an officer to interview an inkblot girl, who had very helpful and reliable information about a toon from Walt's past." Mickey defended.

"So you seduced another woman with your fake badge." Minnie inferred.

"NO! If anyone was seducing her, it was Bugs! Besides, Walt said she'd only open up to men in uniform." Mickey argued.

"Then why didn't you put on a mailman uniform?! You didn't have to insult the real officers who put their lives on the line everyday!" Minnie exploded.

"Well if you're so offended, why don't you take it up with Walt instead of me?" Mickey spat. Bugs slowly tiptoed up to the feuding mice. Next he leaned his elbow on top of Mickey's head, and held a carrot to his teeth with his free arm.

"Eh... hope I'm not interuptin' anyt'ing." Bugs commented between carrot crunches. "But me nephew's tryin' ta sleep, and ya know how little ears are sensitive to dese volumes." The rabbit noticeably pointed his ears towards Peter, Martha, and Timothy. Mickey and Minnie bowed their heads, ashamed that they let their tempers rise in front of the kids. They both sat down on the sofa side by side. Bugs pushed an unused cushioned footstool between the two couches so the group sat in a U shape. "Now that dat's settled, what did I miss?" He queried.

"Walt said we already passed this clue when we posed as officers, and we should move on to the next clue." Mickey supplied meekly.

"Alright, let's move on." Bugs directed.

"But we still don't know what clues Grandpa Walt gave you guys." Timothy interjected. Bugs eyed Mickey for a cue.

"Bugs, would you please?" The mouse practically begged. He didn't dare say more in front of his agitated wife.

"Sure thing." Bugs complied. "It all started when Walt sent us ta find a missing inkblot named Sadie Cat. We soiched for her records for hours, but came up wit' nothin'. Den a reliable source told us where Sadie lived in Two Tone Town. We also loirned dat Sadie was affiliated wit' da Disney Bruddahs studio back in da '20's. Plus she had since studio hopped and changed her name to Ortensia. So we went up ta Ortensia's door. Well she gave us a piece of her mind and more den one reason ta never come back. Da next mornin' we set out ta try our luck wit' Ortensia again. But when we got ta her place, it was completely desoited. Dat's when we tried anothah clue. Dis time Walt sent us ta find a Jungle Book elephant. She led us to a watahfall, where we saw an underwater projection of Lillian Disney and a mysterious toon we couldn't identify. Den we went back ta Two Tone Town, lookin' for dis inkbot dame called Francine Cottontail. She gave us some details 'bout her missing ex boyfriend, which was surprisingly helpful in da long run. Later, we resoiched Fanny's boyfriend at da library, and discovered he was da star of his own cartoon series: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Walt created the series which starred Oswald obviously, along with his possible co-stars Sadie and Fanny. But Disney lost control of the Oswald series to dis Mintz character, and went on ta make Mr. Steamboat Willie himself. Dat's pretty much all da backstory we found before we had ta journey to da strange land where we had ta come save you folks. And by a clever loophole, we got dere two hours early. So da mouse rescued you all, with no help of mine. I was just mindin' me own business, beatin' da livin' daylights outta a False Dip wielding rat. It is important to note dose were two completely unrelated events. And here we are..." Bugs paused the story to look at the clock on the wall. He'd just realized it was passed midnight. "...two days later." The rabbit concluded.

"That's quite a story." Daisy commented. "But what do all these inkblots have to do with the treasure?" She wondered.

"Maybe one of them knows where it is." Horace suggested.

"I think you're on to something, Horace." Mickey spoke up. "It might make sense if the toons who worked with Walt in 1928 know what happened to the treasure. After all, Ortensia sure seemed to know something."

"Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. It sounds so familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on it." Minnie voiced.

"Yeah, I know what'cha mean." Mickey agreed. "I wish it were more familiar, but apparently there's a lot Walt never told us." Bugs loudly groaned as he stretched his arms over his head.

"Well, since we're all awake, and my ink's still pumping from dat rumble wit' da rat..." Bugs started. Sure, he'd promised Clyde he'd be up to his room to explain everything as soon as the commotion downstairs died down. But if that didn't happen, Bugs' intentions were to procrastinate until Clyde fell asleep. Then he could postpone recounting the adventure until morning. "How about we squeeze in one more clue for da night?" Bugs proposed.

"Noooo!" The kids moaned in unison.

"Who died and put you in charge?" Donald mumbled under his breath. Bugs, having not even acknowledged Donald's quacking sounds as words, turned to Mickey for his input. Martha recognized that look on her father's face that said he was considering the option.

"Dad, we were nabbed from Aunt Mandie's house, tied up, and trapped in a shack in the middle of nowhere tonight. Can we please just go to sleep now?" She begged. Mickey picked the snow globe off the coffee table. He was fully aware that his friends and family endured a traumatizing hardship, and honestly he wanted a rest as much as they did. In fact Mickey and Bugs had been running into danger ever since 4 am. He was exhausted. Still, a small nagging voice in the back of Mickey's mind emphasized that Walt told them to 'Proceed with the next code'. Granted that Walt never said to 'immediately' proceed, the voice wouldn't stop poking at Mickey's brain. Mickey glanced at Minnie, expecting a stern glare telling him to give the snow globe a break. But Minnie numbly stared at the coffee table, avoiding eye contact with him. So Mickey went with his gut (or maybe it was his conscious) and flipped the snow globe over.

"One more clue won't hurt." Mickey assured.

"Dad..." Martha and Peter whined. Mickey keyed in the numbers one, two, one, two, two, seven. That code was easy enough to remember. Minnie lifted her head. She wished she could say she was surprised, but Mickey had already proven that he'd literally oblige to any request if it came from Walt. Expecting any less was foolish. The snow globe shimmered with ice crystals falling from the dome top's metal snowflake decoration.

"Everyone, the most important thing you can be doing right now is searching for Oswald or catching the villain. But I don't want you to do that just yet. No matter what time of year it is, celebrate right now like it's Christmas morning. Go home to your families, forget about this quest, and forget about filling stockings. The small wonders that are most precious to you are gifts enough. Have a Merry Christmas, my friends. I will be with you all. When we are all ready we'll continue on. Bugs Bunny has served his purpose and must leave the quest. This time I sincerely thank him for his cooperation and help. I should also inform him that he won't benefit from the treasure. The next code is 112827."

When the message cut out, Mickey's eyes widened at the sight of something he hadn't expected to see again. The snowflakes smudged together in a white mist. Then they dulled to various shades of grey as well as black. Inside the glass, pictured Mickey wearing a Santa Clause hat and beard. He stood near a Christmas tree and a mountain of toys as he hushed a talking baby doll he secured in a stalking over the fireplace. Mickey remembered that cartoon well. Mickey's Good Deed 1932, was especially memorable for Mickey because it had a moral of charity and good will. Not just eight minutes of slapstick. Just as the snow globe's whiteout disappeared, Mickey felt a new hope rising in him. What luck that the snow globe was fully functional again, and what luck that they got a Christmas clue during the Christmas season. The mouse noticed his friends were relieved to hear this too. How wonderful that they would celebrate Christmas even with the snow globe's deadline. How generous of Walt.

"Bugs?" Mickey questioned. The rabbit was the only one not smiling. Without saying a word, Bugs walked out of the room. Mickey followed after him with concern.

"Bugs!" The mouse urgently called. Out of the corner of his right eye, he noticed the wall opening and closing just down the hall. Mickey sprinted towards the strange sight, and realized it was an elevator. The automatic doors were painted to camouflage into the rest of the light blue wall. Mickey saw no arrow buttons, so he stood on his toes to reach behind a small framed picture just to the elevator's right. Just as he suspected, he found the metal panel and pressed the 'up' button. The wall parted open again, and two inner doors slid to the left. Mickey stepped into the elevator's light brown wood and gold accented interior. The mouse eyed the elevator buttons; the many, many, buttons. From the outside Mickey would have guessed Bugs' house had four floors. Apparently he had much more than that. Mickey skimmed over the numbered buttons: 07, 19, 25, 38, 46, Incredible, Ain't It? The mouse flinched back and blinked his eyes at those last two. But before he could make a wild guess, an arrow shaped picket sign shot out of the wall, and pointed to the top floor. 'He's in the observatory.' The sign read. Mickey jumped up to press the highest button. As soon as his yellow shoes hit the floor he clung to the golden bar around the elevator. He wasn't sure what toon speed Bugs had the elevator set to. So he held on tight to avoid becoming a whiplashed puddle on the floor. Mickey watched the three elevator doors slide close: a golden crisscrossing diamond shaped barred gate, a layer of frosted safety glass with a bouquet of carrots etch, and the blue door hidden in the wall. Suddenly Mickey felt a swift jolt. A soft bell sounded, and the elevator doors opened. Mickey cautiously stepped into the observatory. The room was dim with hardly any light, and the dome roof was closed over the towering dull blue telescope. Bugs' silhouetted form sat at the top of a flight of stairs up to the eyepiece. But the rabbit paid no mind to the telescope. He only stared down at Mickey wandering in.

"Not dat I care Doc, but I told ya I wasn't gettin' a single cent of dat treasure." Bugs reminded with contempt.

"You never know." Mickey tried to console. "After I find the treasure, maybe I could give you a large portion. Besides, you've earned it."

"I don't want any of your dad's treasure!" Bugs bellowed. His silhouette turned around. "You wanna know what's botherin' me? He must've t'ought it real funny ta give me dat... slap in da face just before getting rid of me!" Bugs ranted.

"I'm sorry, Bugs. I don't think he meant it to sound so harsh. If he did, then I'm sorry I couldn't get through to him all those years ago that you're really a great friend." Mickey apologized. "Contrary to common belief, Walt was never a perfect man, you know." Mickey jested. He was sure he heard a slightly amused 'hmph' come from Bugs. "I wish he could have seen you today and yesterday. You were really brave. You never gave up, and you never let me give up either." The mouse praised. "Also, I owe you an apology for not listening to you back in N'Wraco Rocco. You were right to be suspicious of Bosko." Mickey humbly admitted. "By the way Bugs..." The mouse distracted. "What happened to that rat guarding the shack in the desert?"

"Don't know, don't care." Bugs snapped. Mickey got the sinking feeling that he was no longer welcome within fifty feet of Bugs. He stepped backwards and leaned against the elevator doors. There was nothing left to apologize for. It was time he gave Bugs the space he needed. Mickey pressed the button on the wall, without taking his eyes off Bugs. The elevator doors glided open. Mickey entered in, but kept his foot in the doorway.

"Bugs? You were right to search for Oswald. You were right all along." Mickey complimented reverently. A moment of silence passed.

"Good." Bugs stated. "Now go back ta Two Tone Town an' find 'im." The rabbit ordered. Mickey dragged his foot inside the elevator, and tapped the first floor button.

"Bugs?" Mickey queried.

"What?!" Bugs demanded. The golden gate shut in front of Mickey.

"Merry Christmas." The mouse uttered. Finally the decorative safety glass fogged Mickey's view of the room, and the elevator took him down.

December 19, 1983 1:04 am

Bugs paced around the observatory until he was sure the mouse and his rescued friends had left. Once he'd blown off enough steam, Bugs made his way down to Clyde's room to see if his nephew was awake. A yellow light glowing under the young rabbit's bedroom door told Bugs, the kit was indeed still waiting for him. Bugs opened the door, spotting Clyde propped up in his bed, with his pillow behind his back and a book in hand. Clyde blinked his blue eyes at Bugs.

"Hey, li'l night owl." Bugs greeted. He came in, and sat down at the edge of Clyde's bed. "I believe I owe you a long and completely truthful story." The rabbit said.

"About Mickey Mouse?" Clyde guessed.

"Featuring Mickey Mouse." Bugs droned, rolling his eyes. Thus, the rabbit retold his experience of hunting for Walt Disney's lost treasure. He filled Clyde in on all the places they visited, all the clues they followed (some were watered down), their three encounters with the demons, and all they'd learned about the treasure and the mysterious inkblot characters involved. "Dat's why I lost track of time, an' didn't meet ya at da airport." Bugs explained. "Hope you're not still mad at me."

"No, I forgive you." Clyde assured. "So what're ya gonna do now?"

"Well foist thing in da mornin' I'm pickin' up Art from Granny's." Bugs planned.

"What about after that?" Clyde inquired. Bugs smiled, crawling up to the head of the bed to sit by Clyde's side. He summoned a thin picture book from his hammerspace, and showed it to Clyde.

"Here's a hint." He said. Clyde's face lit up with joy, but he tried to hide it.

"Don't you think I'm a little too old for this, Uncle Bugs?" Clyde tested.

"You're never too old for classic literature." Bugs answered. Clyde openly grinned, cuddling into Bugs' side. Bugs held his nephew's shoulder with one hand, and supported the book in front of both of them with the other. The guardian rabbit flipped to the first page, and began to read. "T'was the night before Christmas, when all t'rough th' house, not a creature was stirring. Not even a mouse."


	29. The Daughter's Away

Shortly after Mickey returned downstairs, it was decided that the toons would all go home like Walt said. The gang would open Christmas presents in the more decent hours of the morning, and regroup at Mickey's house at noon. They'd have to continue the quest from then on, putting the nonessential Christmas day traditions on hold. Christmas dinner, caroling, and playing with new toys would just have to wait. With the plan set, the toons laid five portable holes upon Bugs' carpet. Mickey wished his friends safe travels and Merry Christmas before taking Timothy in his arms, and jumping down the hole. The other end of the portable hole materialized on the ceiling just inside the Mouse residence's front door. Mickey slipped through the ceiling, and willed his shoes to be light as balloons. Thus the mice floated down easily to the floor.

"That was fun." Timothy commented, on their hyper speed toon travel suddenly slowed to an easy hover. Mickey nodded, putting his son down. The mouse summoned a small trampoline from his hammerspace. Minnie, Martha, Peter, and Pluto followed through the portable hole, each gliding from the trampoline with a spring in their step.

"Couldn't be troubled to use the front door, dear?" Minnie teased. Mickey shook his head playfully. He whistled for the portable hole to come down. The hole pealed itself off the ceiling, and flew to Mickey's hand. The mouse stowed away the props. Meanwhile the kids dragged their feet to the winding stairwell, and sprawled out on the wide bottom step.

"I never thought I'd miss this place so much." Martha sighed.

"Uh-huh." Peter mumbled. Mickey and Minnie shared the kids' sentiments. It really was a relief to be back in their own house.

"Martha, Peter, Tim. Better get to bed before you get too comfortable there." Mickey advised. Martha pushed herself up first.

"'Kay. G'night." She yawned. Timothy lifted his upper half up. He snapped his fingers and called to Pluto. The golden hound obediently bounded to Timothy's side. He bowed so his chin touched the carpet, allowing Timothy to roll onto Pluto's shoulders. The dog straightened his back, took the young mouse's wooden crutch in his mouth, and climbed the stairs. Peter however stayed motionless. He kept his head uncomfortably supported by the first step. Mickey sat down next to Peter, and ran his thumb over his son's two inch bangs at the center of his brow.

"Peter. It's time for bed." Mickey stated. Peter lazily raised his hand.

"Carry me." He pled. Mickey smiled, hoisting Peter up on his back. Peter latched his arms around Mickey's neck.

"Aren't you a little too old for this?" Mickey quipped, on his way up the stairs.

"I just had my first birthday a few days ago." Peter defended, suddenly sounding wide awake. Minnie giggled at Mickey's side. The parent toons reached the top of the stairs, and gave each other a silent knowing nod. Minnie walked right to wish Martha and Timothy goodnight while Mickey walked left to tuck Peter into bed. Down the hall, Mickey nudged Peter's bedroom door open with his foot. He flicked on the light with his elbow. If there was one word to describe Peter's room, it would be 'materialistic'. The left and right walls were painted red, the remaining walls white, and every item in the room had some brand logo, cartoon, sport, or celebrity image on it. Most of the room portrayed Peter as the All-American tough boy, with the hockey sticks, football, boxing gloves, Dukes of Hazard RC car, Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine toy box, Star Wars beanbag chair, Queen poster, and whatever else was iconic of that time. But the room also revealed a softer side of Peter if one looked hard enough. The most secretive evidence was the Mrs. Brisby plush toy Mickey knew Peter kept under his pillow. Mickey laid Peter down on the bed, and wrapped the covers over him.

"Goodnight, son." Mickey whispered.

"Dad?" Peter asked, opening one tired eye. "Is Bugs gonna be alright?"

"Yeah. He'll be fine." Mickey replied, after making up the simplest answer.

"Was he mad at Grandpa Walt?" Peter inquired.

"A little bit. But he'll get over it soon." Mickey downplayed. "Now go to sleep." Peter closed both eyes, and drifted into slumber. Mickey turned off the light at the doorway, but stayed in the room for a few minutes. When he was sure Peter was at least half asleep, he reached under Peter's pillow, and grabbed the Mrs. Brisby plush Peter cherished. Then Mickey carefully nestled the brown mouse doll under Peter's blanket, into the crook of his arm. He let go when Peter sensed the doll's presence, and leaned into it. Mickey had a feeling Peter hadn't slept peacefully without the doll ever since the quest began. Now Peter and his siblings were home safe, and sound asleep. So Mickey silently backed out of the room with the happy thought in his head.

Going into his and Minnie's room, Mickey expected Minnie to be waiting for him at the bedside. He was sure their conversation about the officers clue wasn't finished. However Minnie was already in bed, seemingly asleep. Mickey sighed gratefully, as he closed the bedroom door behind him. Joining her in bed, Mickey tested his luck to see if he truly was still in trouble. He traced his tail over her night gown. In response, Minnie's tail found his, and curled around it. They stayed intertwined for a while, until Mickey withdrew his tail so they could both relax their appendages and sleep. It was great to have things back to normal. Unfortunately the illusion of normalcy in the middle of the magical treasure hunt only lasted four short hours.

"Mom! Dad!" The cry startled Mickey and Minnie awake. They sat up, finding it was Timothy who raised the alarm. The smallest mouse sat at the end of the bed, looking very wide eyed and eager. "It's time to get up!" Timothy announced. Seeing that Timothy was neither scared or hurt, Mickey shifted his attention to his alarm clock.

"Tim, it's five in the morning. Go back to bed." Mickey groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"But it's Christmas." Martha's voice called. Minnie and Mickey looked to the doorway, to see Martha and Peter dressed in their best pajamas, and Pluto wearing a Santa hat. The parent mice gave in.

"Okay. It's Christmas." Minnie approved.

In another part of the world, a lone toon wandered the red and green illuminated streets. Bone chilling rain poured down on him. His overalls were soaked through, and his hands and feet were bare. There was no point in trying to keep dry. Instead, he mused to himself how the best and worst things in life came in threes.

Red, white, blue.

Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness.

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.

Stop, slow, go.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Sun, moon, stars.

Beginning, middle, end.

Father, Son, Holy Ghost.

Turpentine, acetone, benzene.

'It has to be this way.' The toon reminded himself. By the end of the week, he'd finally do what should have been done decades ago. But until that moment came, he decided it was time to search for sanctuary. About the time the rain died down to a light drizzle, the toon came across a homeless shelter. The building was red bricked and built like a school or a YMCA center. The toon pressed his face against one of two glass doors. He read the large sign inside the lobby. 'Vacancy'. Not that the news was very exciting. Since humans and toons alike had treated him like dirt for the past thirty years or so, he'd slowly forgotten to give himself even the slightest respect. Thus, the toon considered sleeping in the gutter again, rather than bother the humans at the shelter. But the splashing sound of rain starting up again convinced him to have a little dignity that night. He pulled on the black door handle, but the entrance was locked. Then the toon gently but loudly knocked 'shave and a haircut' on the glass. An elder lady with frizzy brunette hair and too much makeup answered.

"We don't take toons." The woman shouted through the glass. The toon drooped his long ears, linked his fingers together, and looked at the lady with the saddest, cutest eyes he could muster.

"Not even during the Christmas season?" He begged. The woman walked away, appearing disgusted with the display. "Scrooge." The toon muttered. He was too tired to continue his search for sanctuary. So he took a seat where his feet were. A damp rug on the pavement would have to do. "At least until they kick me outta here." the toon mumbled. To his surprise however, the door opened again. This time an even older woman with dark olive skin, and grey wiry hair half draped over her face, stood at the doorway. By the looks of her tattered brown shawl and messy hair, he had to guess she was homeless too. The woman opened the door just a crack.

"You can come in if you'd like." She rasped. The toon didn't move.

"No m'am. I don't wanna cause trouble." He moped.

"But you'll freeze out there." The woman argued.

"Us toons are very weather tolerant." He shrugged. What he said was true, though he himself was an exception. He hadn't been capable of protecting himself in dire situations, since the 60's. The woman left the toon looking through the glass. In a moment she returned with a blanket, an umbrella, and a porcelain plate wrapped in foil. She pushed the door wide open this time.

"Here, take these." The woman insisted. The toon set the folded blanket in his lap, and placed the umbrella at his side. When the woman gave him the plate, the toon gasped, realizing the plate was hot. He smiled gratefully for the luxury of warm food.

"Thank you." He said.

"Don't mention it. And Merry Christmas." The woman said before closing the door for good this time.

With the customary thanks given, the toon returned to his bitter outlook on the world. So one human showed him kindness. Charity like that wouldn't last. Then the toon began frantically digging into the foil. This would be his first hot meal in over a month. The toon licked his lips with anticipation, until he realized what the foil wrapped plate held.

Cheese.

Even in a small Christmas miracle, the universe still mangaged to give the toon a hard kick in the gut.

Mickey... Mouse... shaped... cheese snacks!

The homeless toon's ink boiled at the sight of the assorted cheddar Mickeys, Swiss Mickeys, and Ritz crackers on the plate. What was the point of even wrapping it in foil and heating it? Just to mock him? It was probably some sick toon stereotype, like 'everybody loves Mickey Mouse'. Or maybe the old hag thought he'd like the cheese because she actually believed he and the mouse looked similar. The toon furiously clenched his hands around the plate. He shuddered, trying to keep control. Suddenly he let his fury erupt. He roared in anguish, brutally smashing the plate against the pavement. Another blow, after another. When the plate shattered in half, he continued crushing the food with half the plate. The toon let go, and the broken plate shards noisily clanged together. Panting, the toon looked down at what he'd done. Cracker crumbs sprinkled the ground in minuscule pieces, but the cheese snacks still looked good if one dusted the dirt particles off them. With his outburst of surprise and rage subsiding, the toon picked up one of the cheese Mickeys. His stomach was below empty. Plus, he had done worse than eat off the ground before. The toon bit down, and viciously ripped the first ear off the Mickey Mouse cheese head. He cursed the mouse with every bite; for stealing his family, for ruining his career, for somehow causing him more emotional pain in exchange for hunger relief. The toon angrily chomped on the next ear. If he ever saw another Mickey Mouse shaped anything, or even heard the name again, he thought he might not make it until Christmas.

December 19, 1983 11:53 am

Crumpled red and green wrapping paper littered the living room floor, Pluto gnawed at the giant bone stuck in his stalking, Minnie fawned over her new diamond necklace, and Mickey enjoyed his generic gifts, but mostly settled for the Christmas spirit overflowing from everyone's hearts. That was the Christmas morning Mickey had come to know since the glory days of Christmas with Walt and his whole family. But starting that year Mickey had new expectations for Christmas at home, to look forward to. They all began with three rambunctious mouse pups. For example, Pluto no longer chewed his bone, and Minnie no longer occupied herself with her own presents. Instead Pluto happily pulled Martha by dog sled through the house, while Minnie had her back turned, 'helping' Martha cut the twisty wires off her My Little Pony toy. Also, Peter jumped up and down on the couch jamming on his first electric guitar, while Mickey and Timothy tried to examine a model train set under the booming chorus of Smoke On the Water. Mickey didn't mind the noise and chaos. It was the best Christmas morning he'd had in years. Pluto's barking signaled Mickey that someone was at the door.

"Peter... PETER!" Mickey shouted three feet away from his son. Peter stopped playing. "Settle down a bit. I think the gang's here." He told. Peter plopped down on the couch, and put the cherry red guitar back in its case. Next Pluto came racing through the house, free of the dog sled. Mickey and Minnie followed the ecstatic hound to the front door. Minnie opened the door to all their friends. Horace, Clarabelle, Goofy, Donald, Daisy, Huey, Louie, Dewey, and Donald Jr. huddled on the front steps in their coats, scarves, and earmuffs.

"Merry Christmas!" They chorused.

"Aww, thanks everybody. C'mon in." Mickey invited. Passing by the paper and bow wreckage in the living room, led the gang to the spotless dining room table where the Mouse family only ate on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and St. Patrick's Day. The toons sat down and shared brief stories of their pleasant Christmas mornings. When the chatter silenced, the atmosphere seemed dreary. It was as if the thought of inevitably returning to the dangerous quest blocked out all the carefree joys of Christmas. Mickey slowly stood up at the head of the table. "I would just like to say, I am grateful for the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with all of you on this day. It may be unorthodox, but it is the chance for us to appreciate what others have done for us on this quest. Toons we haven't seen in years invited us into their homes, and took care of us. Friends and family stood by us when we were hurt, scared, or alone. And most importantly on this day we can remember why we're doing this. Walt asked us with compassion and trust to find the treasure. You should all be proud of what you've given, what you've sacrificed to get us this far. I know I am. So whatever happens in the next clues, can we all remember that the spirit of Christmas and our reason for seeking out the treasure are one in the same?" Mickey testified. The group replied with unanimous nods. "Okay." Mickey said, returning to his seat. The mouse brought the snow globe out of his hammerspace. "Daisy, do you remember the code?" Mickey questioned.

"One, one, two, eight, two, seven." Daisy recited. Mickey keyed in the numbers, and placed the snow globe on the dining table. The globe routinely stirred up a sparkling white storm. The toons leaned in on both sides to hear the message.

"Today is November 28. It is Sadie's birthday. If you by chance see her again, tell her I remember her. Tell her Ubbe still remembers her. And if by chance she ever hears this message, there are a few things I'd like to say to her in my own words. Sadie, I have already expressed my deepest sorrows and humblest apologies in letters to you and Oswald. So I will not let my last words to you be a desperate plea for forgiveness I may never receive. I only wish that you can find happiness, and share it with others. You have too kind of a heart to hide it behind a bad memory. I happen to know a handsome rabbit who's down on his luck and could use a friend like you. But if it's not meant to be, I understand. The company door's always open for you, and I'm sure Mickey will keep it that way. Goodbye, my dear friend. Happy birthday from 1966. Use the next code now. 111427"

The white snowflakes darkened into a grey mist, and thin lines traced diagonal rectangles attached to some sort of box with a black stick figure standing near by. More details filled in and sharpened the image, revealing half of an illustration from Mickey's 1929 short, When the Cat's Away. Mickey noticed right away that the snow globe only showed half of the picture, because he was cut out of it. Something unique about the short was the fact that it was the only time Mickey and Minnie were depicted as five inch tall mice. So in the snow globe Minnie stood upon a player piano clasping her hands together at her right hip and pointing her left foot off to the side (a flirtatious pose she was known for at the time), without Mickey who was supposed to be at the other end of the piano. Mickey didn't understand it at all. Walt talked about how important Sadie was, then put all the focus on Minnie.

"They were in love." Minnie realized. Everyone directed their confused expressions towards her. "I mean Oswald and Sadie." She clarified.

"How do ya figure that, Minnie?" Goofy asked.

"Just the way Walt talks about them. It sounds like something he did made them drift apart. He did say he wishes for forgiveness." Minnie explained.

"And he wants them to get back together." Daisy fantasized. Mickey bowed his head worriedly.

"Min, there may be more truth to that then we'd like to know." He spoke softly.

"What do you mean?" Minnie inquired. Mickey took a deep breath.

"When Bugs and I talked to Oswald's ex girlfriend, she mentioned Oswald and his wife. Since Walt sent Bugs and I to track down Sadie first and we found out she was a Disney Brothers studio toon like Oswald, I think Sadie Cat is Oswald's wife." Mickey deduced.

"Okay maybe, but what did you mean by more truth than we'd like to know?" Minnie half followed.

"Fanny told us the last time she saw Oswald and his wife was at this studio lot. She knew something really bad was happening to Oswald there. She suspected one of the humans... of abuse." Mickey concluded. The toons grimly connected the dots, then desperately looked to one another for a second opinion.

"That's absurd!" Clarabelle cried.

"Walt would never harm a toon!" Horace put in. Mickey wanted to deny it as well. But he had witnessed Fanny report the distant, pained, hopeless look in Oswald's eyes. She wasn't lying. Also, Walt's honest word of 'deepest sorrows and humblest apologies' written in letters, seemed to be incriminating evidence. This clue raised a lot of questions and theories. Though, until they spoke with Ortensia or Oswald, all they had was a theory. Still, it was a haunting thought that wouldn't leave Mickey's mind.


	30. The Crazy Ocean

December 19, 1983 4:19 pm BRT

In the humble abode of the Cardoso family, humans sat at a newspaper draped table and joyfully painted plastic orbs. The Cardosos had a full house that evening because they had opened their home to their church youth group for a service activity. The young teenagers were crafting Christmas tree ornaments for a less fortunate family who could not afford a festive and expensive Christmas this year. But if everything went according to plan, Ms. Garcia and her five children would have a Christmas tree, brand new ornaments, and a car load of presents on Christmas day. Around the table, the charitable people colored the homemade ornaments, laughed at what a mess they were making, and had a good time. However there was one fellow at the table who didn't feel so jolly.

Unlike anyone else in the house, he was a toon. A four foot tall green parrot in a yellow three piece suit, who completely stood out amongst the humans. But that wasn't what bothered him. The parrot disinterestedly bobbed the ornament on a string up and down in a jar of red paint. Not that he would tell any of his young friends this, but he missed the night life. The samba, the women, the drinks, all seemed like distant memories since he started investing his time in more charitable activities for the Christmas season. Maybe he'd be a little more upbeat if someone looked at him like he was special. Down at the club, he was always the star in all the ladies' eyes. Even when he wasn't performing. But tonight, despite the green feathers, charm, and musical talent, everyone treated him like one of the family. And it was just too boring for Jose Carioca.

"Jose? Você está bem?" Mr. Cardoso asked. The man of the house leaned on his cane to hunch to Jose's level. Jose gave the man a less than convincing nod. The parrot opened his beak, preparing to give a more in depth white lie about how zip-a-de-doo-dah okay he was. His breath hitched when his cell phone rang.

"Queira desculpar-me." Jose said politely. He scooted off his chair and slipped out the patio door, unnoticed. The humid outside air touched Jose's face with a thick, sticky grasp. The parrot took a seat in one of four matching lawn chairs under a large umbrella propped up by a glass table. He took the cell phone from his pocket, and answered the call.

"Olá." Jose greeted.

"Hey, Joe. Listen we need a..." Donald's voice began on the other line.

"Donal'!" Jose exclaimed. "What a surprise! How are you, meu amigo?!"

"Great, Jose." Donald stated uncomfortably. "Listen, I called to tell you something important."

"What is it?" Jose implored gleefully.

"Well, this might sound strange... just so you know..." Donald hesitated.

"Donal', everything that comes out of your mouth sounds strange." Jose jested.

"What?!" Donald squawked. Jose suppressed his laughter.

"Come out with it, Donal'. What is it?" The parrot encouraged.

"Well... Walt says we need a plane across the Atlantic Ocean." Donald answered. The smile on the parrot's beak fell. He nearly dropped his cell phone in shock. Was it finally happening? Were they really that close? "Jose? Are ya still there?" Donald questioned. The parrot cleared his throat.

"Sim, sim." Jose stuttered. "I will be there right away." He hurriedly hung up the phone.

December 19, 1983 12:22 pm PST

"Hello?" Donald called from Mickey's kitchen. Realizing Jose ended the call, the duck hung up as well. Donald looked over his shoulder at his curious friends and kin standing around the kitchen.

"What did he say?" Daisy inquired.

"He said he'd be here right away." Donald shrugged. As if on cue, the gang heard the doorbell ring. Mickey left the room to answer it. He really didn't expect it to be Jose Carioca, since he didn't count on the parrot's magic umbrella teleporting him across the west hemisphere. The mouse opened the front door.

"Senior Rato! Parabéns!" Jose cried, pulling Mickey into a bone crushing hug.

"Congratulations for what, Jose?" Mickey cringed. Jose let go of him.

"For earning my clue! I am so relieved you will soon find the tesouro. Walt would be so orgulhosa de você." Jose beamed.

"Gosh. Thanks, Jose." Mickey smiled back. Jose skipped around the mouse, inviting himself in.

"So, you must've had some crazy fun lately, no?" Jose chatted. Mickey awkwardly closed the door behind him.

"Yeah, crazy is one way to put it." Mickey agreed. "The gang's in the kitchen." The mouse informed, taking lead. "Y'know Jose..." Mickey redirected. "We actually have a lot of questions for you."

"Sim, I expected that much." Jose passed off. "But tell me what it was like, when you found out." Jose insisted.

"About the treasure?" Mickey guessed.

"É claro." Jose remarked as if he couldn't possibly mean anything else.

"Well, honestly I was in awe and terrified at the same time. On one hand I couldn't believe my ears when Master Yen Sid activated the snow globe. It seemed so... surreal just to hear my dad say something new to me. I never thought I'd hear that again. But on the other hand, I was scared stiff of Master Yen Sid. He was furious with me and I couldn't be sure why. I tried to understand what he and Walt told me, and not ask too many questions, but..." Mickey babbled. Jose's face scrunched as he realized Mickey's answer made no sense.

"Não, não, não." Jose interrupted. "I don't mean about that." Mickey didn't get a chance to respond, for they had stepped inside the kitchen, and Jose's attention was immediately occupied by Donald and his boys. "Donal'! So good to see you again! Feliz Natal, meu amigo." Jose chimed, hugging the duck.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Jose." Donald quacked. Jose then gave salutations to each of the ducklings.

"Jose?" Mickey spoke up. Jose turned around and met eyes with the mouse. "About those important questions..." He began.

"But you did not answer _my_ question." Jose pointed out, wagging his finger. "What was it like, to learn of Oswald a Sorte de Coelho?" The title rolled off his tongue with reverence. Mickey could have sworn that Jose asked him a different question.

"Oswald the Lucky Rabbit?" Mickey spelled out. The mouse thought back to the library. "Interesting I guess, and kinda sad. I don't know that much about him though." Mickey pondered. Jose's pupils stretched out thin. His jaw hung loosely.

"Meu Deus, Senhor. Is that all you can say?" Jose whispered incredulously. "You are one clue away from facing the Dark One, and you do not know what you are fighting for?" He raised his voice. Mickey scowled at Jose, and clenched his fists. The parrot acted just like Master Yen Sid; reprimanding him for something he didn't know. Suddenly Mickey blew his top.

"Look, I spent nine hours trying to learn something about Oswald! But all the books about him had their pages ripped out! So all I know is that he was a Disney Brothers studio toon star, and Walt lost control of his series just before I was drawn. And Jose, if you know as much as Walt says you do, then you'd better start spilling the truth! I'm tired of toons saying they can't tell me something, and others ridiculing me for not already knowing everything! And ya know what else I'm tired of? Doubting my own creator. I'm through second guessing him! No more misinterpretations, no more lies." Mickey ranted straight to Jose's face.

"Mickey!" Minnie gasped. Mickey did not break his stare down with the parrot.

"Tell me everything, Jose." Mickey demanded. Jose held a straight face. In his mind, he deeply pondered why Mickey suspected he was so involved in the adventure that he knew everything; which he practically did. Walt didn't give him away to be any more important than Tinkerbell or Cinderella. Unless Walt changed the parrot's clue without telling him.

"Take it easy, Rato. Show me the globo de neve, and I will." Jose bargained casually. Mickey handed over the snow globe from his hammerspace. Jose delicately held the magical work of art. He counted the lighted windows on the train carts. Only five left to go. Then Jose pressed his yellow gloved thumb to the metallic snowflake upon the globe. White shimmering snowflakes cascaded from the top, and were swept into a raging wind. The snow globe filled itself with white, and played a very heartfelt clue.

"The eight of you need a plane. Call Jose Carioca for help. Tell him you need a plane across the Atlantic Ocean. Jose has been a big help in organizing the clues, so he'll understand. When you meet with him, play this message again. I would like to thank him personally.

Jose... This will sound sappy, but you deserve my thanks. It is the least I can do. I'm grateful to have known you, Jose. I imagined you from a live parrot, I witnessed you becoming animated and dancing off the page, and throughout the years I watched you grow. However I admit I never got to know you that well. That is why I hesitated to tell you every last detail about the treasure. But you proved yourself loyal, in secret while still acting optimistic as ever. So I thank you for keeping this whole snow globe plan under wraps. Most of all thank you for helping me save my son. I wish I could properly reward you. But the return of the treasure is all I can offer now. Since this message will be my last words to you, I feel it would be appropriate to give you some advice. Jose, you've got a great disposition and a gift for making people happy. Never change that. You've also got irreplaceable friends in Panchito and Donald. The Caballeros will get you through the hardest of times. They'll never give up on you. Even when you don't want their help, they will stick to you closer than brothers. You can take my word for it when I say I know all these things are true. When you need your fellow Caballeros' support, humbly admit it. When the Caballeros need your help, be strong for Donald and especially Panchito. Thank you again for all you've done. Farewell Jose Carioca."

A single tear fell from Jose's eye, followed by a river. Jose hugged the snow globe to his chest, ignoring the snow globe's black and white projection of Mickey falling out of a midair biplane, and holding onto the tail wing for dear life. The parrot had seen the Plane Crazy (1928) reference and all the other illustrations years ago. Jose let all of his feelings rise to the surface and overflow. He loudly cried, and drew in heavy breaths when he could. Donald put an arm around Jose's shoulders, and helped him to a chair at the dinner table.

"It's alright, Joe." Donald comforted.

Huey, Louie, Dewey, and Donald Jr. lingered close by. Minnie offered Jose a tissue box. Jose nodded in thanks, taking the box from her. He wadded up five or so tissues in his hand, blew his beak, then comedically wiped his eyes with the same tissues. Jose tried to control himself now. He inhaled several calming breaths, and tried to think of the positives.

"It is funny." Jose quivered. "He knew Panchito is the most hopelessly lost without the Caballeros. And the most daft." The parrot attempted to chuckle. Donald agreed with a warm smile. Mickey cautiously approached the sniveling parrot.

"You and Walt must have worked together a long time." Mickey brought up softly. Jose nodded. "He was a great friend to have." The mouse stated. Jose returned his gaze to the snow globe. "Jose, I'm sorry I yelled at you. But there's obviously something you know, that the rest of us are supposed to know. Please, tell us the truth, for Walt's sake." Mickey pleaded. Jose set the snow globe behind him on the table.

"You are right, Mickey. You e os seus amigos were expected to comprehend by now." Jose admitted. He grabbed Mickey's wrist, pulling the mouse down as well as pulling himself up. The instant Jose got his footing, he shoved Mickey into the chair.

"What're ya doing?" Mickey said.

"Trust me, amigo. _You_ are the one who needs to sit down." The parrot insisted, sounding like his old self. Jose then leaned his hip into the hooked handle of his black umbrella, and crossed one ankle over the other. He cast his eyes to the floor while he plotted out how to break the news to Mickey. Jose raised his head. "Okay. So you need to know who Oswald is eh?" Jose started. He pulled out a wide 6'' by 8'' picture from his suit pocket, and handed it to Mickey. It was a black and white photograph of seven young men. Mickey instantly picked out Roy, Walt, and Ubbe in the back row. A dark window in the background clearly held the words 'Disney Bros. Studio.' Perched on Walt's right shoulder, sat a grinning inkblot toon with long ears.

"That's him?" Mickey wondered.

"Sim." Jose replied. Mickey passed the photograph off to Donald, who passed it off to someone else. "You see, the Alice Comedies became too eh, how Walt put it: technologically challenging and expensive. So Walt and Ubbe created Oswald a Sorte de Coelho. He was the studio's first toon to star in his own série, and he was very special to Walt." Jose explained reverently. Minnie looked about the group of toons to see if anyone else shared her suspicion. Obviously Mickey didn't. "Since this happened before Toontown was estabelecido, and toons were much less treated as living beings, the humans expected Oswald to fend for himself, like all the other toons of that era. But not Walt. Walt e Lillian took him into their home. They gave him food, shelter, educação, e amor. He was nothing short of família." The wheels were finally turning in Mickey's head. Was it really Oswald he saw with Lillian under the waterfall? Mickey supposed it could have been, if Oswald had drooped his ears. A pang of jealousy hit Mickey's heart. This little rabbit had obviously stolen his parents' hearts, long before Mickey came into the picture. Mickey tried to ignore the feeling. After all Walt probably just housed the rabbit to be a good Samaritan. That didn't prove Walt loved Oswald like his only son, right?

"The black rabbit!" Timothy blurted. Everyone turned their heads to the smallest mouse, who was last to receive Oswald's photograph.

"Tim, of course he's black. All toons were black and white back then." Peter scoffed. Tim held the photograph up to Peter's face as if the proof were written on it in plain English.

"But I mean it's Baby Rabbit, from Br'er Rabbit's story!" Timothy emphasized. "Look, black fur and white cheeks." Goofy, Donald, Daisy, and Pluto took a second look at the photo. The characteristics were accurate, but Peter was right. Any inkblot from the '20's fit that description.

"Is this true, Jose?" Minnie asked. The parrot nodded.

"Sim. It is." Jose confirmed. Verses from Br'er Rabbit's allegory and hints from casual conversation came flooding back to Mickey.

"Baby Rabbit's fur was as black as night wit'out stars, an' his cheeks were white. Just the brightest, purest white."

"Papa Rabbit loved Baby Rabbit mo' then anythin'."

"But when da two seasons were up an' da debt was payed, Mink wouldn' let Baby Rabbit go home. Say Baby Rabbit his property now."

"They never saw Baby Rabbit again."

"Just 'cause these here tales is 'bout critters like Br'er Rabbit an' Br'er Fox, that don't mean they ain't the same like can happen to folks! So them who can't learn from a tale about critters, just ain't got the ears tuned for listenin'."

"You may not like dat tale. But dat's da sad truth Walt wanted me to tell." Mickey returned from his thoughts.

"Jose? Who is the mink?" Mickey inquired.

"Charles B. Mintz." Jose answered solemnly. "Distribuidor de filme e owner of Winkler Productions. In early 1927, Senhor Mintz convinced Walt to create a new toon character they could sell to Universal. Walt and his fellow animadores submitted muitos trial drawings of the new rabbit toon. The Universal executives picked one design e um nome, and copyrighted the character. Walt signed a contrato to manufacture the Oswald shorts. He understood Universal owned Oswald's name. It was business. But that was all decided before he began the série, and grew so attached to Oswald." Jose continued. "Senhor Mink representa Senhor Mintz because of the fateful day in February 1928. Walt took a train from Hollywood to New York to meet Senhor Mintz, and discuss a raise in budget. He wished the raise would be put to enhancing the Oswald shorts' quality. Infelizmente... that is not what Senhor Mintz had in mind. Senhor Mintz insisted Walt accept a twenty por cento cut in pay, and work for him at his new studio. But Walt refused to become Senhor Mintz's employee, with no creative control or credit to the cartoons. He threatened to walk out with Oswald and find a new distribuidor. But then Senhor Mintz boasted that he hired all of Walt's animadores to work for him at Winkler Studio. And worst still, Oswald's shorts were copyrighted by Universal. Legally Walt could not make any more Oswald cartoons. Walt accepted this, and resigned. But he made one erro. With Walt not working for Senhor Mintz, Oswald was not his responsabilidade anymore. As said before, toons were hardly treated like living beings back then. Oswald's studio contract was no different than his soul. Senhor Mintz separados Oswald away from Walt that day. Walt nunca saw Oswald face to face again." Jose concluded. The room was silent, and the air filled with heavy thoughts. 'So that was the true tale of Baby Rabbit.' Mickey pondered. He understood now, that the great tragedy of 1928 happened months before he was animated.

"Jose? I didn't cause any of that, did I?" Mickey double checked.

"Oh, não, não!" Jose assured. "If anthing, that caused _you_."

"What?" Mickey questioned.

"Sim. Without the absence of Oswald Coelho, Walt and Ubbe never would have made Mickey Rato. Make sense, amigo?" The parrot simplified.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Mickey followed.

"Grande, because we are almost done." Jose sighed.

"Almost?" Donald's nephews repeated. Not that this wasn't informative, but it felt like Jose had been talking forever.

"Sim. We have not even discussed the part you are required to sit down for, Rato." Jose commented.

"Okay then, let's get on with it." Mickey prepared himself.

"You must have noticed Walt e Lillian speaking of another like you." Jose inferred.

"Yes." Mickey replied. Walt's words 'My heart is always with you, just as yours and another's are equally and eternally with me.' and the projection under the waterfall specifically came to mind.

"Well now you know they spoke of Oswald. They loved him muito dearly, despite the facts Oswald was animated, and no human ever raised a child toon before. This sounds familiar?" Jose hinted.

"Jose. What are you getting at?" Mickey implored, still trying to suppress the touch of jealousy in him. Jose rolled his eyes. Since the mouse still hadn't realized the big picture by now, he probably never would. Jose decided to just come out and say it.

"Mickey, you are you because of Oswald. You have many diferenças, but on the inside, that is where you are the same. Ubbe gave you two the same ink. Walt gave you the same coração. Mickey, no matter what any... scientist, biologist, or anybody says, you were drawn to be Walt's son." Jose declared. Mickey firmly nodded. "And you were also drawn to be Oswald's irmão." He added uneasily. Mickey's face heated with anger and embarrassment.

"Brother?!" He cried.

"Sim." The parrot said meekly. Mickey bolted up from the chair.

"Are you pulling my leg, Jose? Oswald can't be my brother! He's a rabbit!" Mickey raised his voice.

"And your father is a human." Jose countered.

"That's completely different." Mickey argued. "I mean what's next? Flip the Frog's my cousin just because Ubbe animated him?"

"Mickey Mouse, that's enough!" Minnie intervened. Mickey turned to look her in the eye. She stepped toward him, and held his hand. That was enough yelling for one adventure. This time instead of fighting, Minnie took a gentler approach. "It doesn't take blood or ink to make a family. All it requires is love." She soothed. "Just look at all of us." Mickey did behold the mice, ducks, dogs, cow, horse, and parrot. The mouse calmed himself. Minnie silently beckoned for Timothy to give her the black and white photograph. Timothy passed it to Peter, who walked it to Minnie's hand. "Walt wouldn't ask Br'er Rabbit or Jose to say these things if it wasn't true." She reasoned. Minnie showed her husband the photo again, holding her thumb close to Walt's arm that held up Oswald. "The proof is right here." She pointed out.

"I just don't understand. Why wouldn't Walt tell me I have a brother?" Mickey wondered.

"Why wouldn't he tell you about the treasure?" Minnie tested. Mickey's ears perked up. Did she really imply that-. All heads turned to Jose for answers. The parrot genuinely smiled like he had at the front door.

"And _that_ meu amigos e amigas, is the truth." Jose announced.


	31. All Waves & Barnyard Guns

"This whole treasure hunt..." Mickey put together. "...was a plot to find Oswald?"

"Sim, and now you are ready to do so." Jose responded.

"But what was the point of all the clues? I mean I understand some of them, like talking to Fanny. But most of them were just distractions. Ice skating, teasing Br'er Fox, chasing cars. Those didn't help us at all." Mickey said.

"Não é verdade." Jose disagreed. "Not one clue was a useless distraction. No, there was always something to learn about Oswald."

"There was?" Goofy wondered. Jose pinched the bridge of his beak.

"Ai-ai-ai, amigos. You had to have learned _something_ on your own." Jose complained. "Never mind. You know enough. There will be time for Mestre Yen Sid to tell you the rest." The parrot redirected. He picked up his umbrella like a baton, and tried to lead a march out of the house. "Vamos, amigos. The time for resting is over." Jose called.

"Kids, go get ready." Minnie told the three Mouse children, still in their pajamas. Jose heard this, and stopped in his tracks.

"Senhora, I am sorry. But they cannot come." Jose forbid.

"What?" Minnie asked.

"And the same goes for you, patinhos." Jose addressed Huey, Louie, Dewey, and Donald Jr.

"What?" The triplets chorused.

"But why?" Donald Jr. cried.

"It is too dangerous for you patinhos e ratinhos. Also, the rest of the clues can only be passed with the eight. Walt made it so." Jose explained.

"Well what are we supposed to do?" Daisy questioned. "We can't leave them here alone."

"C'mon, Aunt Daisy. You can trust us for a couple hours." Huey insisted.

"On the contrary, meu amigos, you eight may be gone for um tempo muito longo. Let's just say, where we are going, you could keep track de tempo better in Neverland." Jose informed.

"We couldn't send them to Uncle Scrooge." Donald though out loud. After the ducklings ran away in the middle of the night, Donald assumed that his uncle wouldn't appreciate babysitting for a while.

"Jose? How long will you be joining us?" Minnie asked.

"Less than ten minutos, and then you eight are on your own." Jose answered. "Why?"

"Well, if it's not too much trouble, maybe you could watch the kids?" Minnie proposed.

"Me?" Jose questioned.

"She's right, Jose. You're the only one who knows what's going on, or when we'll be back." Mickey agreed. The parrot combed his fingers through the feathers atop his head.

"Okay. I guess it is não é um problema. I have done this much for your familia. One more favor cannot hurt." Jose gave in.

"Thanks, Jose. We really owe ya." Mickey smiled. Jose turned on his heel, making his way to the front door again.

"More than you will ever know." He mumbled to himself. "I will be ready with the plane in a few minutos." The parrot said over his shoulder. Peter, Martha, and Timothy gathered with their parents. They knew what had to be done.

"So this is really happening? We won't be there when you find... the treasure?" Peter moped.

"Afraid so, Peter." Mickey confirmed.

"We never should have left home that night. We weren't really needed anyway." Martha regretted.

"No. No, you kids were always needed. Just because Walt didn't count on you three joining us, doesn't mean you didn't help. Timothy, you heard Br'er Rabbit's story and understood it the moment you saw Oswald. That's something the rest of us couldn't figure out. Peter, on the castle and train clues I could tell your head was really in it, to find the treasure. You were a great help." Mickey complimented. "Martha..." He started again.

"Don't mention it, Dad." Martha interrupted. The whole adventure had been a nightmare for her. Any way her father thought she assisted, was probably torture from her perspective. She didn't want to be reminded and praised for those moments.

"The point is you all contributed something to do Walt and our family this honor. Thanks, you three." Mickey rewarded the trio with a hug.

"Dad? What's gonna happen to Oswald on Christmas Eve?" Timothy asked.

"I don't know. But with any luck I'll stop it from happening." Mickey assured. He'd have to ask Master Yen Sid since Jose had already revealed much more than he intended.

"Behave yourselves and listen to Jose." Minnie said, joining the hug. "And if anything goes wrong in the next ten minutes, you're all grounded 'til next year." She chimed.

"Aw, Mom!" The mouse children whined.

"They'll be alright." Mickey trusted. "We love you." The mice embraced just a little bit tighter.

When all goodbyes were finished, the Sensational Six plus two stepped out the front door. Everyone looked about the snow covered scene, but saw no plane in sight. Jose stood on the winter lawn with his hands folded behind his back, and beak pointed towards the sky. Donald tread to the parrot's side. Instead of asking the awkward question of 'where's the plane?', Donald took a different approach.

"Jose, I never knew you were a pilot." Donald marveled.

"Oh, I am not." Jose shrugged, keeping his head up. Donald searched the sky for a plane flying overhead, but saw nothing.

"Then who is flying the plane?" Donald questioned.

"I am." Jose smirked. Donald's expression was priceless.

"Wha-huh?" The duck stuttered. Then the parrot showed off a red paper airplane in his left hand. He threw the paper plane high into the air. It fought against the wind, making a loop over the toons. But when the red plane dove down behind the group, it seemed to massively grow to over three times Jose's height. The plane swooped low and charged at the toons.

"Um, Jose?" Mickey gulped, preparing to run. Jose calmly strode between the select eight and the plane.

"If you are ready to jump..." The parrot began. At the last moment before the plane's point could impale him, Jose flew over the plane and planted his feet on a paper wing. "Then JUMP!" He commanded. The toons split left and right, and hopped onto the triangle shaped wings. They all scrambled on as the plane gained altitude again. With nothing to get their footing on, the gang latched onto the wings' edges for dear life. Jose opened his umbrella, flipped the hooked handle away from him, grabbed the umbrella's tips like a steering wheel. Suddenly the plane leveled out, and a sense of stability overcame the toons. Mickey felt his weight hold him to the wing like he was lying on a floor. He stood up, and miraculously, or magically he did not tumble off the plane. "I am sorry if any of you feel airsickness." Jose nonchalantly commented. He momentarily let go of his umbrella to gesture to open sky on either side of him. "The vomit bags are to your left and right." He joked.

"Oh, my..." Donald gawked, looking way over the edge. Toontown looked like a tiny smudge of crayon colored over a bird's eye view painting of the cities. "Was this really necessary, Jose?" The duck fretted.

"Sim. We had to get um avião in the clue somehow." Jose replied. The plane tilted to soar upward into the clouds. But the toons' feet stayed firmly planted where they were. Minnie huddled closer to Mickey, trying to warm and protect herself from the cold air. Of course, chilly weather was all the toons had to worry about. Since they were in fact _toons,_ drawn to break reality at a whim, they were completely immune to any threat clouds, rain, wind, and lack of oxygen, might pose.

"Jose, was there an airplane in the cartoon that premiered on this code's date?" Mickey inquired.

"Sim! You _have_ learned something on your own." Jose rejoiced with surprise.

"Yeah. We have." The mouse agreed. "If I can ask, Jose, what was the name of this Alice Comedy?" Mickey ventured. Jose glanced over his shoulder at him.

"What are you speaking of, amigo? Alice has nothing to do with this." The parrot pointed out.

"But the Alice Comedies was Walt's work, his passion before I came alo-" Mickey couldn't finish his argument. Jose's own words from just minutes ago, flashed through Mickey's mind. 'You see, the Alice Comedies became too eh, how Walt put it: technologically challenging and expensive. So Walt and Ubbe created Oswald a Sorte de Coelho.'

"Every clue came from an Oswald cartoon?" Daisy voiced. Mickey slapped his hand over his forehead. He really should have figured that one out sooner! Jose shook his head amusedly.

"Rato Mickey. Where would you be without friends?" The parrot snickered. Moments later the sky blackened. Darkness consumed the white clouds. Each individual hair on the mammal toons' pelts stood straight up. "Mickey. I suggest you listen to the next clue while you can still hear it." Jose advised. As if on cue, a purple colossal sized cloud in the distance flashed with a blinding white light. The gang hardly had two seconds to register where the strange light came from when an earthshaking roar of thunder bellowed down on them. Everyone but Jose yelped, and cowered in one another's arms at the center of the plane. Mickey bravely whipped the snow globe out of his hammerspace.

"Jose, what's the code?" Mickey beckoned. Another rumble of thunder echoed, and the clouds off to their far right flickered. Anxiety made the ribs in Mickey's chest tingle. The sensation was similar to butterflies in his stomach, if the butterflies were bees and they were trying to escape a burning building.

"One, zero, three, one, two, seven." Jose recited, still keeping relatively collected.

"Halloween, 1927? Oh, sure! That's really comforting!" Daisy panicked. Mickey keyed in the numbers at the bottom, then held the snow globe upright. The sparkling snowflakes raced around the water filled dome. Without warning the storm boomed below them again. Looking through the clear globe, Mickey's nerves almost made him mistake the cracked glass for a lightning bolt. The snowflakes spun faster and faster, merging into the glittering white mass. To the quivering toons, Walt's voice was a relief to hear.

"You'll need to enter the same realm as the enemy. He'll be waiting for you there. Hold your breath, and don't fight the current. Water is your natural element, Mickey. Use that to your advantage. The next code is 101727."

Mickey waited for some sign of hope; some sign that Walt knew what he was doing. An image from Wild Waves (1929) depicting Mickey and Minnie holding hands at the top of a wave, with their bodies dangling on either side, was not the guidance Mickey had in mind. Jose caused the plane to hover in place. Purple clouds beneath the plane slowly stretched their puffy shapes into thick lines, letting much more light break through the clouds. Now the thunder rolled constantly, and lightning not only struck downward, but sideways from cloud to cloud. Meanwhile Jose closed his umbrella, and leaned on it like he usually did. Mickey didn't like the look of that. The thin clouds packed against one another, and curved around the open air below the paper plane. Mickey stared wide eyed at the barrier of thunder clouds building up around them.

"Look, everybody!" Goofy alerted, pointing over the edge. At the bottom of the cloud crater, black waves crashed together. The lightning flashes highlighted the waves silver ripples.

"For heaven sakes, we're not going down there are we?" Clarabelle cried.

"Don't worry about the relâmpagos. It will not shock you. It is mostly for show." Jose hollered over the storm.

"Are you kidding?!" Donald squawked.

"Não. This is your stop." Jose answered honestly. The parrot left his position as pilot, and placed a hand on Mickey's shoulder. "Are you ready, Senhor?" Jose asked.

"No!" Mickey shouted.

"Of course you are!" Jose encouraged. The parrot stepped backwards off the plane, yanking Mickey along with him by the arm.

"Jose!" Mickey objected. The parrot and mouse stayed level with each other as if they were walking on an invisible board.

"Now... off you go!" Jose exclaimed. The second he released Mickey's arm, the mouse, the plane, and its passengers plummeted down to the ocean. Watching them descend into the eye of the storm, Jose pondered assisting them. After all the success of this clue half relied on Mickey's powers. The parrot decided to follow his friends down. He glided next to Mickey, who screamed his lungs out, equally as loud as everyone else. "Mickey, your robe!" Jose reminded. Mickey curled into a ball, crossing his arms over his chest, then he stretched out his limbs, letting the red fabric bloom around him. Mickey reached out for Jose's help, but the parrot was occupied with opening his umbrella. "Adeus, amigo!" Jose hollered in the wind, before flapping his umbrella shut, and teleporting away.

Mickey's eyes darted to his friends falling beside him. A blue aura glowed around him as he rocketed into the ocean faster than everyone else. The aura merged with the water, and developed a loose force field around Mickey. He waved his arms with the current, causing the aura to catch and let in every one of his friends. Seven toon bodies rolled into the magic force Mickey created. They all seemed unconscious, floating motionlessly in the liquefied air pocket. Mickey loosened his psychic hold on the force field, letting the current take them away. Time passed by slowly as the illuminated force field bubble drifted deeper into pitch black. Mickey counted the seconds with every heartbeat pounding in his ears, and visibly pulsing through the blue aura. Eventually light rays spotlighted the aura, shining down from the suddenly very near surface. Mickey dissolved the magic force field. The rush of salt water gushing against every corner of the toons' faces woke them from their trance. The eight toons frantically paddled to the surface, and broke through the waves. Mickey observed their strange surroundings. The sky was overcast with blood red clouds. Purple lightning cracked the atmosphere. Within paddling distance laid a beach covered in grey ash. Gazing upward, Mickey caught the dim outline a giant jagged rock graveyard and a volcano a few miles in from the beach. Neon lightning streaked diagonally behind the volcano's peak, making a glowing purple 'X' appear behind it. Mickey nodded to the others, and they dog paddled to shore. Once they reached the ash littered sand, they each hunched over panting.

"Mickey..." Minnie huffed. "Do you still... have the snow globe?" Mickey magically pulled the snow globe out of his bell sleeve, and showed it to her.

"So this is Chernabog's realm?" Donald trembled.

"I don't think so, Donald." Mickey answered, catching his breath. "This definitely isn't Bald Mountain. Besides that, I don't think Chernabog's behind all this."

"What? But you saw those things that attacked us before." Donald reasoned.

"And the Magic Mirror said Chernabog sent those creatures from Bald Mountain." Goofy supplied.

"And Jose talked about 'The Dark One'." Horace added.

"I know. But it just doesn't add up to me. Chernabog doesn't have motive to keep us apart from Oswald." Mickey opinionated.

"Unless Walt told him to, like what he did with Captain Hook." Minnie hypothesized.

"Just for the sake of giving us a villain?" Mickey pondered. A lightning bolt struck the water's surface behind them. Instinctively Mickey and the gang ran a good distance away from the incoming waves, just to be safe. They took shelter against an enormous hook shaped rock formation.

"Mickey, I think we need to hear the next clue now." Minnie suggested.

"Right." Mickey agreed. They survived the storm, followed the current, and now it was time for the showdown. "Daisy?" The mouse questioned.

"One, zero, one, seven, two, seven." Daisy remembered. Mickey entered the numbers as she spoke. The snow globe's fake snow burst into glistening crystals that were carried about in a swirling tempest. Walt's voice emitted from the white shimmering orb.

"You're ready to come face to face with the Dark One. This is no time to shy away. The eight of you must borrow magic to battle your enemy's stolen magic. Master Yen Sid will send you weaponry. Do not let your rival escape. Unmask him. He will surrender and tell you the next code."

The white flurry of snowflakes faded to grey, aside from the circular white and black shapes, making up the scene's characters. Inside the snow globe Pete was depicted wearing a military helmet, making a grasp for Mickey with both hands. Mickey however had his back turned and was obviously trying to tiptoe away. 'The Barnyard Battle, 1929' Mickey recalled. They were certainly in for a fight now. Suddenly, maniacal laughter boomed over the beach. Mickey gulped. It was time. The mouse lead the way out into the open. Ahead of the gang, lightning hit the ground, exploding in violet flames. From the flames emerged a black robed human like creature. It walked on two legs, and stood up right like a human, but its skin was ebony, and florescent purple veins crawled up his neck and face. The dark figure's head was adorned with wide pointed ears as well as tall, backward curving horns. Mickey held his ground against the cackling evil. 'Walt said it was just a mask.' He reminded himself.

"Well, well. So the spineless little mouse finally decided to show up." The Dark One mocked in a low voice. "I thought you gave up and ran away years ago."

"You're the coward, making Chernabog's subjects do all your dirty work!" Mickey snapped, trying to put on a brave face. "I'll never be afraid of you!" Just then the sky opened, and a pillar of sunlight shined down on the gang. One by one, Master Yen Sid's promised weaponry floated down to the eight toons.

"Merlin's Cane." Horace marveled, gripping the wooden staff.

"The Sword in the Stone." Goofy awed, clutching the sword, only to find out it was quite heavy.

"Jose's umbrella?" Donald quacked doubtfully. If there was one thing he understood about the multipurpose and magical artifact, it was that it only worked for Jose.

"Grrr-ruff!" Pluto barked, excitedly biting into the Shield of Virtue.

"Fairy Godmother's Wand." Clarabelle gasped, holding the thin wand with two fingers.

"Blue Fairy's Wand." Daisy recognized from the star that glowed at the end of the wand when it floated into her hand.

"The Sword of Truth?" Minnie wondered. Truthfully she didn't think she had it in her to pick up a sword and fight close combat. Finally Master Yen Sid's hat levitated toward Mickey, and rested on the mouse's head. The clouds shut the tranquil light out of the dark and chaotic realm. The Dark One laughed once more.

"You think you can defeat me with those _toys?"_ He guffawed. Mickey conjured green spheres of energy in both hands. He posed, ready to launch them.

"Yeah! And what've you got?" Mickey challenged. The horned creature narrowed its yellow slanted eyes at Mickey. A ghostly blur colored like the enemy shifted to the left, then materialized as an exact copy of The Dark One. He repeated the trick until eight shadowy figures stood before the gang. "Remember Walt said to unmask him." Mickey whispered to his friends.

"Which one?" Donald hissed.

"The real one." Mickey shot back.

"Let the games begin!" All eight adversaries spoke in unison. Mickey's small army charged forward, yelling a wordless battle cry. The Dark One and his clones paired off with each toon. Pluto tackled one creature, plowing him to the ground immediately. But the creature erupted fire from his hand, and reached for Pluto's face. The dog blocked the attack with the magic shield in his mouth. The enemy blasted enough flames to heat up the shield and make Pluto retreat. But the old dog wasn't out of tricks yet. He dodged the enemy's incoming fireball attacks side to side. Pluto zigzagged closer and closer until he jumped into the air. The creature threw his fist out to launch another inferno. But Pluto let go of the shield, pounced over it and the creature's black robed arms, and latched his teeth onto the enemy's nose. He knocked the creature onto his back, and shredded the skin tight mask off his face. But the moment he did so, the creature evaporated into black smoke. He was not the real Dark One.

At the same time Goofy and Horace teamed up and had their evil duo pinned back to back. The toons held out their cane and sword defensively. One creature breathed fire from its mouth at Goofy. Surprisingly with skill and cleverness Goofy blocked the thin stream of flares with the enchanted sword. Horace zapped the second foe with an ice spell, trapping most of him in a block of ice. Then Goofy resumed being goofy by tripping over his shoelace, falling on the dark creature, and accidentally sliced his mask. With the mask torn, the false creature was defeated, and faded out. Horace yanked at the top of his foe's head where the ice didn't incase him. The black fabric tore, causing the other imposter to disappear as well.

Meanwhile Daisy and Clarabelle used their fairy wand magic to raise trees, vines, and other vegetation from the ground, and entangle their two enemies in vines. The creatures broke free momentarily as they set fire to the greenery. But with a flick of her wrist, Clarabelle wrapped a burning vine around the creatures' heads, destroying their masks and very existence.

Elsewhere, Donald could only figure out how to teleport to random locations via the magic umbrella. He flapped the umbrella closed, which transported him to the enemy's far right, to his far left, five inches in front of him. Donald teleported himself again, narrowly avoiding becoming a roasted duck. If he could just predict where he was going, he could launch a sneak attack. Then Donald found himself in the strangest position yet; atop the creature's head. Donald quacked in shock, and proceeded to beat the enemy in the face with Jose's umbrella. The black robed creature collapsed, and Donald victoriously ripped off the mask. Unfortunately, he had not unmasked the real Dark One either.

Simultaneously, Minnie and Mickey battled the remaining creatures together. Minnie fought off the creature with the flaming sword arms, while Mickey matched the last creature's fire power with combusting energy spheres. All the while the mice kept their backs to each other.

"How ya doin' Minnie?" Mickey asked, trying to sound casual.

"Just peachy." She gritted. "But I think we need a new strategy."

"Like what?" Mickey inquired.

"Like an ocean right next to us, sweetheart." Minnie deadpanned. It was true, Mickey could have summoned a tidal wave to wipe out all the masked figures. But that was too careless. He couldn't risk his rival escaping. This had to be up close and personal. Though Minnie, did give him an idea about the elements.

"Okay, I've got a plan. Get behind me and run." Mickey commanded.

"What?" Minnie objected.

"Just run! Now!" Mickey ordered. Without thinking, Minnie dropped the sword and hurried towards the ocean. Realizing what she was risking, she darted right behind a rock formation. The two masked figures dove in for a final fiery blow, when Mickey raised his hands over his head, pointed his fingers together, and became a mouse lightning rod. Pink lightning touched down on the tip of Yen Sid's hat. The stars and crescent moons lit up, and channeled the power outward. Both The Dark One and his imposter felt the full shock, and flew backwards. One roughly hit the sand, the other disappeared. The gang instantly circled the fallen enemy, with their magical artifacts at the ready, incase he stood up again. Minnie instantly ran to Mickey's aid. The sorcerer's apprentice weakly pushed the pointed hat off his head, and fell to his knees.

"Mickey, are you alright?!" Minnie exclaimed, taking him in her arms. It was then she noticed his charred grey face and robe.

"Peachy." Mickey coughed.

"Oh, Mickey. You'll wanna see this." Horace called nervously. The ring of toons parted from the captured foe.

"Alright! Scram! Quit gawkin'! You won already!" A sickeningly familiar voice snapped. Minnie helped Mickey to his feet as they looked at the biggest threat to them the entire journey, without his mask.

"I don't believe it." Minnie breathed.


	32. Mechanical Steamboat & Dance Teacher Pt1

Mickey gaped in shock at the fallen enemy. The toon was a anthropomorphic rodent with black fur and a Caucasian face. His round black ears were comparable to Mickey's. His two buck teeth had no space between, and stuck out under his long snout. Mickey stood eye to eye with the hunched over, lengthy, mouse; his old rival.

"Mortimer?" Mickey exclaimed. Mortimer Mouse didn't waste his breath on a response. He only scowled at Mickey. "But why? Why would ya do this?"

"Don't act like you don't know." Mortimer spat. "I spent the last seventeen years waiting for my chance in the spotlight, and what do you do? You lead me on at every turn that you're scared and barely getting by, and then you wipe me out without a sweat on the last clue!" The eight heroes stared at Mortimer; utterly confused by his senseless blabbering.

"Mortimer, I don't have the slightest idea what that means." Mickey stated honestly. Mortimer groaned frustratingly.

"The position of Walt Disney Company mascot! You won, I lost. Get it?!" Mortimer spelled out.

"But I... You can't just..." Mickey stuttered. "You thought that was up for bet?!"

"Of course it was!" Mortimer shot back. "Whaddya think the treasure is?" For a moment Mickey was speechless, even astounded by Mortimer's incredible misguidance.

"Right. That treasure that I wanted to keep." Mickey played along. "How did you learn about all this?" The small mouse inquired.

"Old Roy Disney recognized that my talent far surpassed yours, and said I deserved to be a beloved icon of Disney and America." Mortimer recalled proudly. The eight toons fought back their snickering. Mickey knew well his uncle wouldn't say that. "So he and Walt came up with this competition. You forfeited the right to be company mascot as soon as you activated that first clue, and I've been tryin' ta bump ya off ever since." Mortimer explained. "Within Walt's regulations unfortunately. Any of this ringing any bells?" He added.

"Regulations?" Minnie repeated.

"Seriously? Did you leave your brains in Neverland?" Mortimer whined, shoving a small artifact from his black cloak sleeve to Mickey's face. Mickey flinched back, avoiding impact from the tiny dark snow globe. The globe's base was black with imprinted designs of dead trees. A ring around the bottom held a detailed, weaving, broken, train track; absent of a train. Inside the black tinted globe, small grey particles fluttered across an empty landscape. The snow looked more like ash, to Mickey. 'An anti-snow globe? With false clues?' He thought. A knot suddenly twisted up in Mickey's gut. He clenched his fists with rage.

"Within regulations?! Phooey! You coulda got me killed _twice_ with that Dip! I'll bet you didn't follow any of Walt's rules!" Mickey shouted.

"First off, it was False Dip, ya wimp. And second, there was no second time." Mortimer defended.

"I know you gave that False Dip to Bosko." Mickey accused. Mortimer looked off to the side, grinning.

"That washed out inkblot got you too? Ha-cha-cha!" Mortimer laughed.

"It's not funny, Mortimer!" Mickey asserted. "What if you used real Dip by mistake? Then what would ya do?"

"Ah, don't get your goody-two-shoes in a twist. I wanted to win. It was a little friendly competition. You would've sabotaged me too if you weren't so spineless." Mortimer snarled. Mickey shook his head disappointedly. How could he be so convinced that the quest was just a big gamble? How could he think that, when the snow globe and all the work put into it was so sacred to Walt? Oswald was sacred to Walt.

"This isn't about winning." Mickey stated, showing Mortimer the photograph Jose had given him. "It's about him: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Every clue in Walt's real snow globe represents Oswald's cartoons, and the relationship he and Walt shared. I'm on this treasure hunt to find Oswald, like my father wanted me to. And the only reason you're here is to be the typical antagonist and provide conflict." Mickey ranted. He took a deep breath. "Roy and Walt... lied to you, Mortimer." Mickey gently explained. "They made you believe you had something to gain. Then they coached you to hunt me and the snow globe until our showdown. But the truth was, you could never win. You said this was your last clue. I have three more left." Mickey revealed. He took Walt's true snow globe from his hammerspace, and showed it to Mortimer. "You _played_ a _part,_ and now you're finished." Mickey clarified. Reality clicked on in Mortimer's mind, and he was furious. The taller mouse jolted to his feet, pushed Mickey and Minnie aside, and roared his frustrations up at the storming sky. He kicked the sand up as he stomped around the beach, cursing Walt, Roy, Yen Sid, and anyone else he could think to blame. Normally Mickey would feel offended by Mortimer vocalizing such disrespectful language towards his esteemed family and friends. But this? This was hilarious. Mortimer finally stopped raging to catch his breath. In a last fit of anger, threw the dark snow globe up at the nearest rock formation. It shattered upon impact, making shards of metal and glass roll down the bumpy slope.

"Hey, Mortimer?" Mickey called in a teasingly friendly tone. "If I can ask, how _did_ you get Chernabog's demons to do your bidding?"

"Walt said I'd need some magic to stand a chance against you." Mortimer huffed. His face reddened. "The Queen of Hearts doesn't have any real magic. Queen Grimhilde wouldn't lend any potions. Maleficent? I didn't bother asking her! But Chernabog will make any deal, for the right price." He smirked at the thought; reclaiming his sly and arrogant personality.

"What'd ya give him?" Mickey asked.

"The Dunce of Darkness," Mortimer insulted. "just wanted a fish." Unbeknownst to Mortimer, the very stone structure he struck with the dark snow globe, unfurled its pointed peak into two mountainous bat wings. The greatest man made characterization of pure evil, to wreak havoc on the mortal world, Chernabog himself, emerged from the cliff. Lightning bolts crashed together over the dark god's head, casting a mile long, horned shadow over the toons. Mickey's friends held up their magical weapons defensively, but mostly hid behind the red robed mouse. "A fish! Can you believe it?" Mortimer exclaimed. The mighty dark god was not amused. He folded his arms, and glared down at the hysterical mouse.

"A sole, Mortimer?" Minnie quivered.

"Yeah! Talk about going batty! Ha-cha-cha!" Mortimer cackled. Having heard enough, Chernabog raised a hand, preparing for a swift strike.

"Mortimer! Look out!" Mickey warned.

"What?!" Mortimer snapped. But he realized his fate not soon enough. Chernabog slammed his hand down upon Mortimer, seemingly crushing him in his clutches. When the devil scooped up his prize and a load of sand, ghostly white wisps weaved over and under his fingers. He bared his fangs sadistically at his fist. Then Chernabog eyed the band of good guys, cowering in fear of him. He extended a pointing finger towards Mickey.

"One... zero... zero... three... two... seven." The voice of the Devil boomed. Petrified with fear, Mickey forced himself to nod graciously. Chernabog held his closed fist to his chest, cocooned himself inside his wings, and disappeared into thin air. The jagged rocks and volcano faded away as well. The purple storm clouds calmed, and painted a gorgeous sunrise on the ocean horizon. Silently, the toons took in the natural beauty. Just the eight of them, the sky full of colors, the gentle waves, and miles of white sand reaching to the next horizon.

"What do you think will happen to Mortimer?" Minnie spoke up.

"Nothing permanent. We haven't seen the last of him." Mickey predicted.

"Do you think the clues will be easier with Mortimer gone?" Daisy wondered.

"I sure hope so." Mickey replied. The mouse turned the discs to match Chernabog's code. "With only three clues left, what's the worst that could happen?" He mumbled. The snow globe's swirling and twirling snowflakes gleamed in the dawning light.

"I will not explain myself or Roy for tricking Mortimer, since the eight of you can surely draw your own conclusions. Donald, take everyone back to Jose with the umbrella. I imagine he has waited a long time for all of you. Minnie, I want you to hear one more clue. Then the rest of the journey is Mickey's duty to finish. Before we all go our separate ways, there is one final task I want the eight of you to do together. Remember. Remember how anxious you were in the beginning to find the treasure, and my clues told you to fly around, go ice skating, and listen to stories. Remember I tried to serve _milk_ before meat... Out of all the goodbyes I've recorded, this one is the hardest to put into words. Thank you, Clarabelle, Horace, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, and Daisy, for your faithfulness and courage in this time. Thank you for your friendship in the years passed. You gave the company so much life. So with a heavy heart, and no diversions or delays left, I finally must say... Goodbye. The next code is 091927, Minnie."

The snowflakes darkened into different shades of grey. A wide oval swam up to the glass, and grew four tube like appendages. Smaller lines and further details reveal the black spot to be a skinny cow with a sagging utter. She stood upon a dock, whereas Mickey stood upon her head and shoulders. The mouse in the snow globe intended to load the cow onto the steamboat with what was basically a buckled belt tied by rope to a crane system. Considering all the history, good and bad, that the snow globe revealed, it only made sense for Steamboat Willie (1928) to be a part of it. Though Mickey wasn't sure what that illustration had to do with that clue. Looking up at his friends, Mickey sympathized for them. This was the end of the road for them. Their final moments with Walt were officially over. Mickey could imagine the sorrow they felt. It was a sorrow he dreaded would completely hit him when Walt inevitably said farewell to him on the final clue.

"Um... I..." The mouse tried, but he was at a loss for words. "Let's just go home." He sighed. "Donald?" Mickey signaled. The duck raise the closed umbrella apprehensively. He doubted Mickey, the one with actual skill in the magical arts, couldn't teleport them home somehow. But no, the responsibility was left on Donald's shoulders.

"I hope this works." Donald muttered. The black umbrella flapped open, taking the eight toons away in a white light. Faster than Mickey could blink, the warm sand heating his shoes became cold, watery, slush. The blinding white light switched off, and the gang found themselves in familiar darkness. Mickey recognized the magnificent silhouette of his home sweet castle, against a star filled sky. The gang was summoned to Mickey's backyard; particularly in a patch where the snow had begun to melt. Worry swelled in Mickey's chest. Jose and Walt were right. They must have been gone a very long time in that realm. The caretaker of the house sat ten feet above them on the back porch railing, savoring a cigar. Upon catching sight of Jose, Mickey dashed up the wooden staircase to the balcony deck. His friends followed close behind. Jose flinched in surprise, hearing the toons trudge up the stairs. He instinctively brought the cigar away from his beak, and tucked his cigar hand under the railing. True, there was no use hiding it. Anyone who knew Jose could guess what he was doing up there, and Jose was never one to be shy about his habits. But ever since Walt's passing and Pinto's a year later, both caused by lung cancer, Jose made a point to avoid smoking in front of Mickey. It was an unrequested, but respectful gesture. Presently, Jose faced the mouse, and waited for the odd response he might receive.

"Jose, what time is it? Never mind that. What day is it?" Mickey rushed.

"Sábado?" Jose said awkwardly. "It is Christmas Eve." He continued, thinking that was the answer Mickey was looking for. It wasn't. Mickey nearly fainted on the spot. Master Yen Sid tried to forwarn him, there was so much at risk and so much to lose in nine days. Mickey finally understood that now. But it didn't seem to matter anymore. He was too late.

"No. It can't be." Mickey denied. "This can't be happening. We couldn't have gone through all that, just to run out of time! What's gonna happen to Oswald, now?" He panicked. Jose stared at the mouse, caught between concern and confusion.

"Rato, nothing will _happen_ to Oswald. You will find him." Jose comforted.

"Don't you know? Master Yen Sid told me if I didn't find the treasure in nine days..." The mouse despaired. In the adrenaline filled seconds, before Mickey admitted defeat, the last crucial question in is mind was resolved. Master Yen Sid's warning, the Magic Mirror's riddle. He put together another piece of the puzzle. And it tore his heart in half.

"Mickey. Mickey, calm down." Minnie instructed. She took hold of his arm and let him lean on her for support. "Christmas Eve's not over yet. Maybe there's still time." She supposed. Mickey took a deep breath, composing himself.

"You're right." The mouse nodded. "How many hours until midnight, Jose?"

"Três." Jose supplied. Mickey inhaled once more. Solve two clues, find Oswald, and save him in under three hours? It could be done... maybe.

"We'll have to hurry." Mickey stressed. He grabbed her hand, and hastily lead her inside. "Thanks for everything, Jose!" Mickey shouted over his shoulder just before the patio door slammed shut. The mice left the gang outside, in favor of a place more private. They raced to their shared bedroom, only slowing down to close the door behind them without a sound. Accidentally waking up the kids, and reuniting with them after five days would only cause a delay. With so much time lost, Mickey just couldn't afford to slow down now.

"So. Is Jose still on babysitting duty or not?" Minnie questioned. Mickey fumbled with the upside down snow globe, entering in the code.

"It's your last clue." Mickey reminded in a sad tone. "You'll be here to take care of things for the rest of the night." They sat side by side at the foot of the bed. Mickey held the glistening snow globe between them.

"I know you can do this." Minnie declared. Mickey looked up from the snow globe at her. But Walt's voice cut in before Mickey could speak his mind.

"Minnie. I saved this message for you because I wanted to tell you, _just you,_ something you've probably never heard before. It would make me proud, if everyone in this business strived to be more like you. I know you doubt yourself sometimes, because in the public's eye you've often played the helpless victim. It's true that role was meant to make Mickey more heroic and likable. But I never wanted you to question your worth. You're one incredible girl; one of the most outstanding girls I know. It takes a lot of strength to be kind to everyone, to be someone's constant shoulder to cry on, and to give your all for the benefit of someone else and desire no reward in return. I've seen you exhibit these traits as you've supported and loved Mickey over the years. Love is the key word, Minnie. It is at your center, and it radiates from you every time you smile. That is why I would like people to look to you as a guiding beacon. Love was at the birth of this company, at the start of yours and Mickey's career, and love was present at many more milestones. As for the future, I have no doubt that the company and your own personal fates are in good hands. I guess the only thing I can ask of you, is to keep up the good work. And Minnie, please take care of Mickey for me. I know he won't stumble into _too many_ more police uniform misadventures, with you at his side. This is my last goodbye to you, Minnie. But do not sorrow. You will never be alone.

Mickey. In moments you will meet with Master Yen Sid to tie up loose ends. It's time for you to finish this on your own. The next code is 090527."

Light grey patches appeared inside the snow globe. They blurrily stacked together, creating a scenery of a house, a clothes line reaching from a pole in the front yard to the upstairs window, a canopied front door, a short driveway, and a picket fence around the property. But that was only the top right corner. Across the curved road, Mickey sat in a covered horse-cart. The cart was pulled by Horace, whom the illustration depicted sitting down much like a dog. They were waiting for Minnie to emerge from the house, so Mickey could take her to a dance. Technically The Barn Dance (1929) was Mickey's and Minnie's first on-screen date. That reminder only made it harder for Mickey to leave his sweetheart in favor of the last clues. His thoughts were interrupted by a quiet sob in his ear. Mickey meant to slide the snow globe behind him, and take Minnie in his arms, reassuringly closing the space between them. He planned it that way, but the instant he touched the snow globe's glass, an ivory glow burst from the dome, and swirled up Mickey's arm. The light wrapped itself around Mickey's body. Streaking beams shined outward until not even Mickey's round ears were noticeable in the flash of overwhelming light. Minnie had to shield her face, as if the sun threatened to burn through her eyes. Suddenly, the light began to funnel into the silver snow flake atop the snow globe, taking Mickey with it. The mouse felt no bodily movement, just his fully aware conscious flowing with the light energy. The last of the light slithered into the snow globe, and without warning the snow globe vanished.

On the other side of reality, the first thing Mickey sensed was a warm breeze. Once the light leapt off him, he opened his eyes. The mouse found himself kneeling before a large crescent moon shaped window. Gentle sun rays shined through the window to rest upon Mickey's face. He noticed he was still dressed in his sorcerer's apprentice robe, since his battle against Mortimer. The snow globe rested under his arm. The mouse brought it up to his face to examine the globe. It appeared completely normal. Fake white grains shifted at the ice skating figurine's feet. Then something silently moved behind Mickey. He psychically detected the presence, and turned around. Master Yen Sid stood before him, half in shadow. Mickey realized Yen Sid's study was quite dark and the only features of the room catching light were the sorcerer's desk in front of the two open windows, and the stone cauldron of which one candle hovered over. Mickey scrambled to his master's side at the cauldron.

"Master Yen Sid! Am I too late?" Mickey cried.

"No Mickey. There is time to spare." Yen Sid replied. Mickey bowed his head, and sighed thankfully. "I assume you understand the gravity of Oswald's situation now?"

"Yes, Master. And I really don't want to lose him." Mickey proclaimed. The devastation he experienced in front of Jose minutes ago, returned to haunt Mickey.

"How did you come to this conclusion?" Yen Sid asked calmly.

"It's just... Jose had to tell me exactly what the treasure was. He actually tried to tell me twice. But once I got it, everything you said made sense, and I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, Master." Mickey rambled, becoming more anxious as the realization prepared to slip from his mouth. "But I really understood, when I thought about... something the Magic Mirror told me. It stopped in the middle of it's riddle. But I think I know how it was supposed to end."

"Proceed." Yen Sid granted.

"In dark shadows the treasure lies broken, damaged inside from times unspoken. The destruction of the treasure is nigh. Grant Walt's wishes Mickey, or the treasure shall... _die._ " Mickey finished. Yen Sid nodded solemnly.

"It is true, Mickey." He stated. "That is why I had to coerce you into searching for the treasure. If you had delayed discovering the snow globe's power any further, it would have already been to late." The sorcerer explained.

"But why?" Mickey implored. "What's supposed to happen to Oswald tonight?" Yen Sid waved his arm over the cauldron. Blue wisps of steam danced off the brew's surface. Mickey craned his neck and stood on his toes to see what was happening inside the cauldron. To the mouse's surprise, Yen Sid picked him up with both hands, and held him above the cauldron.

"The reason lies in Oswald's past, during a time so few care to remember." Yen Sid explained. Mickey relaxed, leaning more into Yen Sid's arm, and holding onto his shoulder. The mouse peered into the mysterious concoction. Below the trembling and slightly steaming light blue liquid, a shimmering white orb floated upward. It touched the surface, and dispersed into a hundred miniature popping bubbles. When the surface cleared, a colored image appeared on the liquid brew. Unlike the snow globe's illustrations, this one moved and made sound. Mickey watched black hands identical to his own, cup together under a non-animated running sink. The cupped hands came closer, and splashed water at Mickey and Yen Sid. Mickey figured they were watching Oswald's perspective in the past. While Oswald repeated the motion of washing his face, two voices confirmed Mickey's idea.

"Not to be a damper, but do you really call him your son?" A stranger queried.

"That's the way it's always been." The unmistakable voice of Walt as a young man replied.

"Oh, I'm sure people buy that. Family resemblance and all." The stranger sarcastically quipped.

"What are you talking about? He looks just like me. See?" In response to the questioning tone, Oswald looked up from the sink. He face his own reflection, then glanced to the left side of the mirror. There he saw his creator holding up two fingers behind his head. Oswald smiled at him and wiggled his ears for emphasis. In the mirror, Walt's reflection laughed and patted Oswald's head. Mickey's eyes fixated on the memory. The lighthearted scene was a temporary relief from his earlier panic. He wanted to learn more about Oswald and Walt together, just as he did when he first discovered the rabbit's name in a library book. Unfortunately the memories only became more grim from then onward.


	33. Mechanical Steamboat & Dance Teacher Pt2

**Author's note: Selective lines (c) Walt Before Mickey - directed by Khoa Le**

The scenery inside the cauldron bubbled and changed from a white tiled bathroom, to a tall wooden door with an etched glass window holding the words CHARLES MINTZ in black letters. Of course the door seemed enormous because the rabbit whom this memory belonged to, hardly stood two feet tall plus the ears. Oswald turned his attention to Walt who stood by his side. The young man held a straight face, though Mickey could clearly see that underneath his numb expression Walt was emotionally struggling to hold something back. Mickey wondered if Walt knew he was running into a losing battle.

"Stay here, Son." Walt said calmly. Oswald took a step back, and watched Walt pass through the ominous door.

"Walter." Mintz cheerfully greeted.

"Charles." Walt stated.

"I trust you've had a... change of heart?" Mintz sneered. Mickey blinked in surprise at how clear the voices sounded to Oswald, despite the closed door. Suddenly the perspective shifted upward as Oswald hopped onto the doorknob. He swung his arms around, trying to find his balance on. But the door and wall was completely smooth. Quickly, Oswald reached over his head, and brought down a long black oval. 'Did he just dismember his ear?' Mickey thought. Oswald stuck the black tool through the crack between the door and the wall half way, bent the remaining half flat against the door, then bent a quarter of the ear towards himself. He created a handle to anchor himself to the wall. Mickey was impressed. The mouse hadn't seen toon ingenuity like that in a long time. Oswald kept one foot on the doorknob, latched his fingers around his severed ear, and leaned as far over as he could. He caught the sight of a blurry mass shrinking downward through the stylized window. Walt sat down at Mintz's desk.

"Do you have the contract?" Walt quieried.

"Yes." Mintz mumbled, with the shuffling of papers. "Now let's sign it and be done with it." Walt gave no immediate response.

"Do you mind if I take a look at it before I sign?" He asked.

"Hurry up. I have a meeting to get to." Mintz griped. Oswald stared at Walt's hunched figure, silently reading.

"Wait." Walt abruptly spoke up. "Am I reading this right? You want us to assign all rights of ownership of Disney studios to Snappy Comedies and you?" His voice rose with more contempt. "In exchange for what? A two hundred dollar a week salary?"

"Walter, we are assuming significant risk by extending the contract. It's a fair deal." Mintz negotiated.

"This is not what we agreed to, Charles." Walt argued. Another foggy personage made sudden movement behind the glass. Mintz shot up from his seat.

"You have no leverage, Walter." Mintz fiercely reminded. His voice settled again into a collected and knowing sneer. "George has already signed your artists and your designers. Take the deal or lose everything."

"I suppose..." Walt began. "It was too much to hope that you would be a man of your word." He sighed disappointedly. The instant Walt stood up to leave, Oswald jumped to the floor. He sprinted a short distance away, so Walt wouldn't suspect him of spying. "My team and I, will have _nothing_ to do with you." Walt's voice rang loud and clear. Oswald turned back to see his right ear was still lodged in the doorway. The rabbit raced back to the door, and made a reach for it. But there was no time. Walt's silhouette was already visible in the window. He probably had his hand on the doorknob now. Oswald covered his eyes in shame. However his ears weren't covered, as he listened to the most malicious, deranged, bone chilling, sound he'd ever heard. Mintz bursted with laughter. And he would not stop.

"What team?! You don't have a team!" Mintz guffawed. "And I own the rights to the rabbit." He boasted. Walt didn't make a sound. "You're finished. Go back to Kansas." Mintz mocked.

"I never liked that damn rabbit anyway!" Walt snapped. Oswald uncovered his eyes. The door flew open, and Walt stormed out of the office so fast he nearly stepped on the rabbit. "Oswald!" Walt exclaimed in surprise. His temper immediately faded, when looked the single eared rabbit in the eye. Walt scanned the floor for something. During which Oswald blinked excessively. The rabbit bowed his head. Four drops of water glistened on the floor. Oswald blinked, and another drop rolled off his face. He was crying. Oswald glanced back to Walt, who found what he was searching for. The young man picked Oswald's crooked ear off the floor. Walt's expression said it all. He knew Oswald had eavesdropped on him, and overheard every hurtful word. Walt opened his mouth to say something, but Mintz intervened. He strode between Oswald and Walt, and snatched the ear from Walt's hand.

"That reminds me. Before you go," Mintz smirked. He jabbed the ear back on Oswald's head. Mintz's hand stayed out of sight over Oswald's head, as he yanked the rabbit off the floor by the ears and scalp. Oswald struggled to fight off Mintz. He tried to kick at him, but his feet only hit air. "say goodbye to your pet." Without giving Walt a chance to respond, Mintz threw the rabbit in his office, and slammed the door shut. Oswald hit a hard back chair head on, and collapsed on the floor. His eyes squinted shut from the pain.

"What are you're doing?!" Walt shouted.

"Did you think I would just let you walk out, with only your word that you won't make any new animations with _my_ toon character? Oswald is mine." Mintz asserted. "Not that it matters to you." He scoffed. The cauldron's contents lightened from its pitch blackness. The liquid brew still appeared dark and murky, but now Mickey thought he could see the bottom. Master Yen Sid set the red robed mouse back on his feet.

"That's awful, Master." Mickey gloomed.

"Yes. Oswald endured many hardships after that. Charles Mintz and his associates often physically assaulted him as well as inflict him with other tortures. However, very few humans knew of these atrocious acts. Charles Mintz knew who held sympathy for toons, and who to keep close ties with. Namely George Winkler, Charles Mintz's brother in law, kept Oswald underfoot for almost two years." Yen Sid explained.

"How do you know all of this, Master? If it happened before the '40's, how could you see those things?" Mickey implored, glancing at the cauldron.

"Not only have I watched over Oswald in more present times, but I have overseen much of his past through his dreams. What you just witnessed is one of Oswald's most common nightmares." Yen Sid answered.

"Watched over, Master?" Mickey repeated. The sorcerer nodded.

"From the moment I came into existence, your father had paramount plans for me. Because I am essentially an animated counterpart of Walt, he assigned me many duties that he wished to, but could not accomplish on his own. These responsibilities pertained to the company, to you, and Oswald. That is why I have cared for and guarded Oswald in secret for forty-four years." Yen Sid recounted. Mickey admired the sorcerer for his feat; to hold a great portion of the supernatural world on his shoulders, mentor an apprentice, and constantly remain an invisible guardian to a toon he undoubtedly became attached to over the years. 'You're his godfather.' Mickey wanted to say, but kept it in his mind. "Despite my greatest efforts to protect Oswald, it seems I could never protect him from his greatest enemy of all. Himself." Yen Sid continued. "Decades passed, and I watched Oswald turn himself into a shadow of his former self. His advancing hatred of humans changed who he was inside. He became more bitter and aggressive until he forced away the only loved ones he had left."

"Sadie and their sons, Master?" Mickey guessed.

"Correct." Yen Sid confirmed. "Since his loss of Sadie, Oswald has traveled to many foreign lands, searching for a purpose. In this month, he has deemed his endeavors useless, and has decided to return home. Whilst you and your friends were solving Walt's clues, Oswald was traveling across continents to find his way home." Mickey felt surprised by this revelation.

"Why can't he just use a portable hole, Master?" Mickey questioned.

"Since 1952, Oswald has lost the confidence and stamina to perform simple toon tricks." Yen Sid replied. "But what matters now is why Oswald has chosen to return at this time. The physical and emotional trauma Oswald has suffered due to others and his own actions, has caused Oswald to lose all hope. At the start of December, Oswald made a vow that he would try to find happiness. And if he could not find one thing to save him from his misery, he would stoop to where he is now. It is Christmas Eve, and Oswald is finished waiting for a Christmas miracle. He resides in his first home at this very moment with a canister of Dip. When the clock strikes twelve, Oswald will take his life." The sorcerer revealed.

"What?!" Mickey cried out. "Can't you stop him?!"

"No. Only you can do so." Yen Sid insisted. "Walt never desired me to show myself to Oswald or influence his free will."

"Well, what if it's just big talk? He can't really mean to Dip himself!" Mickey suggested nervously.

"I have known Oswald all of my life, and I have read his darkest thoughts. I know exactly what he intends to do." Yen Sid affirmed.

"Then you have to take me to him, Master. Where is his first home?" Mickey demanded.

"T'is no different than yours." The sorcerer said. Mickey could hardly believe it. That little house on Lyric Avenue, was the same place Oswald once lived with Walt and Lillian. To think his older brother walked the same halls, ate at the same table, and slept in the same room as Mickey did. To think Oswald probably left a dozen signs around the house that he was there, and Mickey never noticed a single one. Mickey shook his deep thoughts away.

"Thank you, Master." The mouse rushed a bow. Before the master could get any more useful information through to the student, Mickey disappeared from the realm.

December 24, 1983 11:56 pm

Mickey teleported straight to 2495 Lyric Ave, Los Angeles California. His shoes sank in the snow filled driveway. No lights were on in the house, or any house that Mickey could see. The street slumbered peacefully. Mickey made his robe evaporate, and stowed away the snow globe. The mouse followed the stone path to the side of the house. He climbed up the concrete stairway, and pulled the door open. Mickey chose not to dwell on why the door was unlocked. Maybe Oswald unlocked it. Maybe the house had been unlocked for years, and vandalized by anyone who happened to stumble upon it. Mickey put it out of his mind. He tiptoed inside the house. Moments ago he was dying to find Oswald. But now that he found himself in a dark, abandoned house, accompanied by a very unfriendly toon armed with Dip, the task at hand didn't seem so easy anymore. He crept through the kitchen, then the dining room. Since he still had no sense of nightvision, Mickey relied on memory to guide him through the house. As he opened one door from the dining room to the hallway, Mickey spotted a thin line of light escaping under the bathroom door. The sound of pouring water also caught his ears. Mickey stepped up to the bathroom door.

"Oswald?" Mickey called. The toon on the other side gave no reply, but the pouring water stopped. "Oswald. Come outta there. You don't have to do this." Mickey tried again. Nothing. The mouse gulped as he tapped the door open. Suddenly a blast of green acid splashed all over the floor. Mickey jumped back just in the nick of time. In the back corner of the bathroom, on the sink counter, stood the one and only Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The black rabbit wore torn up blue overalls, and defensively held glass bottles of Dip in his hands. Oswald's black oval eyes pulsed with rage.

"YOU!" The rabbit yelled. "What the devil are you doing here?!" Mickey analyzed the sound of his brother's voice. Was it just him, or did the rabbit have a bit of a New York accent?

"Oswald, I just came to help you." Mickey pacified, holding up his hands. Oswald chucked another bottle at Mickey. This one hit the wall; much less closer than the last one.

"Why would you help me?!" Oswald bellowed.

"Because I don't want you to die!" Mickey proclaimed. "I want us to be friends, just like Walt wanted."

"Shut up!" The rabbit ordered. "You spoiled, naïve, little rat! You obviously don't know the first thing about Walt!" Mickey was shocked by this comment, but kept pressing his luck.

"And what is that?" Mickey challenged.

"Deep down he's just like the rest." Oswald grunted. "A bigheaded business man, who uses you until he's through with you!"

"He never did that to you." Mickey countered.

"Shows what you know." Oswald snapped.

"I know he didn't mean what he said in Charles Mintz's office. Remember, you stood on the doorknob to see in the window?" Mickey put in. Oswald shook his head in disbelief. "Oswald, he was angry. Humans say things they don't mean when they're..." The mouse soothed.

"Whatever! Just leave me alone!" Oswald cut in.

"I can't do that. I've come so far to find you, and I'm not giving up now." Mickey vowed. Oswald perked his drooping ears up slightly.

"While you're still breathing, tell me. How did you find me?" Oswald interrogated. Mickey took a calming breath.

"Walt sent me... to find you. Before he died, Walt, Roy, Ubbe, and lots of others made up a quest that I could follow, and meet you in the future. I'm... about seventeen years late. But you wanted a Christmas miracle, didn't you? Well here I am." Mickey told. Oswald gazed to his right at the a round bathtub, filled with Dip. Death was just a hop away. "Oswald, please? Let me help you." The mouse begged.

"Don't bother." Oswald muttered. His ears straightened out, and then swung around like helicopter blades. The rabbit hovered off the counter, over the Dip puddle on the floor, and landed safely in front of Mickey. "I still don't trust you. But ya obviously know something. Something ya can't make up." The rabbit grumbled.

"Thanks Oswald. I promise I'll explain everything, if you'll just..." In the middle of Mickey's speech, Oswald aimed his fist, and socked Mickey as hard as he could in the eye. The blow knocked Mickey flat on his back. Three blue birds popped out of nowhere, and fluttered over the mouse's head. "Wh-what was that for?" Mickey dizzily asked.

"Always wanted to do that." Oswald quipped, casually stepping over the dazed mouse's body.


	34. Double Troubles Part 1

"Just so we're clear, if anything you say isn't true, I'm taking you down with me." Oswald threatened. The rabbit marched a few paces into another room. Mickey uneasily got to his feet.

"Yeah. We're clear on that." Mickey submitted. Oswald flicked on a light on the wall. Mickey followed the rabbit inside a light blue painted room, the mouse instantly identified as his bedroom. His room, or more accurately his and Oswald's room, was completely bare of decorations or furniture, aside from a beige mattress in the middle of the floor. "Did a previous owner leave that behind?" Mickey asked.

"Who cares?" Oswald snapped, plopping down on the mattress. "Shut your trap when I'm not talkin' to you. Sound of your voice makes me sick." He ordered. Mickey bit his bottom lip awkwardly. Getting along with Oswald definitely wouldn't be a walk in the park. The mouse sat down side by side with his brother. But Oswald turned his front towards Mickey, refusing to let his guard down. "Alright. What exactly do you _think_ you know about me?" Oswald grilled.

"I know what happened in February of 1928, and I'm very sorry it happened to you." Mickey answered.

"Heh. Who's twisted version did you get? Walt's?" Oswald quizzed. 'Yours.' Mickey thought.

"Don't ask me how, but I saw the absolutely true version. The version only you could have seen. That's how I know you stood on the doorknob to look in the window. No one else was around to see that, except you." The mouse explained. Oswald bolted up from the mattress.

"This is ridiculous." The rabbit disregarded. Mickey thought fast before Oswald could make another move.

"Wait! I know about Ortensia!" He claimed.

"Never heard of her!" Oswald shot back. Mickey mentally kicked himself for messing that one up.

"I know about Sadie!" The mouse tried again. Oswald's expression calmed. Mickey continued, once he realized he had Oswald's attention. "I met Sadie."

"When? Where?" Oswald beseeched.

"A week ago, on Alice Ave in Two Tone Town." Mickey informed. "She lived there under the name Ortensia Cat." Oswald turned his back to the mouse, and wiped a hand across his eyes. Months of searching, worrying, blaming, and moping flashed through his mind. His lost love hid in plain sight within Two Tone Town the whole time. Oswald bottled up a tremble of weakness.

"Wh-what did she say?" Oswald inquired.

"Well she hates my guts just as much as you do." Mickey smiled. The rabbit breathily chuckled. Mickey hoped this was progress. "She thought I came by her house to apologize." Mickey paused. Oswald faced Mickey again, glaring through the mouse. Even if it wouldn't change anything, his love deserved an apology from the over glorified toon mouse star, for shoving their cartoon series off the stage and into a corner.

"Did you?" Oswald questioned.

"She told me to stay away from her boys, and slammed the door in my face before I could-" Mickey started.

"The boys?" Oswald gasped. He darted to Mickey, leaning in inches from the mouse's face. "Floyd and Lloyd? They're with her?" Oswald pressed urgently. "How are they? Do they look healthy?"

"That's all I found out from her." Mickey confessed, leaning back uncomfortably. "I tried to talk to her the next day, but the house was abandoned when I got there." Oswald got out of the mouse's space. His face fell downheartedly.

"What did you really want from her?" The rabbit questioned. Mickey reached behind his back. Oswald tensed. "What're you doing?!" He demanded. Mickey brought out the snow globe before the rabbit could hostilely retaliate.

"It's just a gift from Walt." Mickey calmed. "This is how I found you." Oswald studied the trinket, immediately noticing the Mickey Mouse figurine inside. The rabbit clenched his teeth.

"I thought you found me because of some conspiracy Walt made up." Oswald taunted.

"That's not what I said before." Mickey pointed out. He scooted over on the mattress, and patted a spot for Oswald. "Just, please listen to what he has to say. I've come a long way looking for you, and... maybe there's something in here you've been looking for too." Mickey pleaded. The inkblot rabbit reluctantly sat down next to Mickey. Assuming it was best Oswald was introduced to the snow globe's powers from the very beginning, Mickey moved all the numbered disks to zero. That code should have played the activation message. However, when the snow flakes swept up, the toon brothers heard an entirely different message.

"Hello, my son. Wow, I can't... begin to express how proud I am of you. You actually made it to the trolley clue. Don't worry. You didn't miss anything. There is no trolley cart in this clue. At this point the past truths and whatever changes time has made must be colliding. So I understand if not everything is matching up like the cartoons. We can't expect everything to go by the book. Now it's time to look back on your journey, to see what you've accomplished, and see if anything else looks familiar."

Mickey frantically flipped the snow globe over while the snow flakes still glittered and blew around. The mouse gaped when he beheld the numbered disks no longer read zero. Instead the disks were set at zero, nine, zero, five, two, seven; the last code Mickey heard before he was transported to Yen Sid's tower. The mouse scrutinized the numbers, not believing his own eyes. 'They were all zero just a second ago.' He reasoned with himself. 'Who could've...?' Master Yen Sid's name came to mind, but so did someone else's.

Meanwhile, Oswald battled within himself over grief and joy. He felt so relieved to hear Walt praise him; to even say he was proud of his son. But that feeling was crushed by the cold reality that Walt spoke of Mickey. Still a tiny spark of hope probed at Oswald's heart, nudging him to believe Mickey's good report of Walt. Suddenly rapid flashes of color flew across the upside down globe. Oswald curiously tipped the snow globe up right.

"Look!" The rabbit alerted. Both toons stared at the black and white animation that projected onto the glass. Oswald ran through a white background with the occasional tent. A tiny black projectile shot towards his head, but Oswald tucked his upper body into his shorts, so he was but a black and white ball with ears and legs. The rabbit stayed shrunk down, avoiding another bullet, and kept running. Mickey wouldn't know it, but in the cartoon police were chasing Oswald through a circus because the rabbit stole a hot dog. Then color and live action scenery bled over the two tone animation. The new scene showed Mickey carrying Martha in his arms and toon speeding through a dark Disneyland. Oswald couldn't identify the place Mickey was running through, but he did notice concession stands in the background.

Mickey's short clip ended, and Oswald's next greyscale cartoon leaked through. A carefree Ortensia, skating by on an ice pond, is knocked on her tail by a soaring hockey puck. Oswald skidded to her aid; apologetically offering her his hand, and tipping his ears off his head like a hat. The rabbit sadly half smiled at the bittersweet memory. Mickey however fully beamed, for he knew what was coming next. Oswald's cartoon blurred into Mickey and Minnie ice-skating over Pixie Pond, surrounded by a grove of flickering green trees.

The colors faded and parted way for a black and white forest setting. A black bear cub hopped upon a large boulder to escape Oswald and his temper. Oswald pointed an accusing finger at the bear cub. In response, the cub blew a raspberry. Angered even more, Oswald grabbed onto a bump on the boulder to hoist himself up, but the black mass shifted into a ferocious mother bear. She stood up on her four clawed paws, causing Oswald to dangle off the edge of her nose. Oswald silently screamed in terror, as the mother bear opened her mouth wide enough to swallow Oswald whole. The scene darkened until the snow globe was an orb of black. Then dim moonlight painted a new picture. The silhouette of Mickey carrying Timothy on his back, was stared down by a hulking bristly brown bear. His tiny eyes glowed red. Oswald raised his brow in surprise, watching the moonlight catch the bear's every pearly white fang, as he uttered a thundering roar. So these were the dangerous trials Mickey had to pass to find him. 'Interesting plan, Dad.' Oswald pondered.

"Did he do something like this for every one?" Oswald asked out loud.

"Yeah. All twenty-six." Mickey replied.

Before Mickey and friends could flee, the snow globe flashed from near pitch black to bright grey. A short black fox raced off out of sight on the cue of the bolded word **'BANG'** popping over his head. A dozen dogs gave chase, with several inkblot characters mounted on horses following up the rear. Meanwhile Oswald was left in the dust, being jostled around by his stubborn, bucking horse. Again the snow globe darkened to show Mickey and friends' antics that particular night. This time only Donald and Pluto were depicted running through the snow.

"We were supposed to chase a fox out of his cave with my dog, Pluto." Mickey clarified.

A new sample silver screen animation lightened the globe. Oswald sat on a grounded steel girder eating a sandwich while Sadie crouched on the girder, flirtatiously winking at him. Then she puckers her lips to him. Above the couple, a burly inkblot bear wearing overalls and a top hat, spits out his tobacco in disgust. The obvious antagonist spots a rope and hook looped around his girder. Oswald finished the last bite of his sandwich, and met Sadie lips to lips. Unbeknownst to the lovestruck couple, the bear lowered the hook down behind Sadie. The hook curved into Sadie's bloomers, and the bear reeled her in. Oswald, and Sadie for that matter, only realized something was wrong when their kiss was forcibly broken. Dark shades of blue leaked through the grey. Soon Mickey beheld a moment in time he had missed; the second he turned his back and the girls disappeared. The snow globe showed shadowy figures of Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Goofy, Peter, Timothy, and Martha facing towards Chicapin Hill. Br'er Rabbit stood on the fence post to get a better look. Suddenly the sky erupted in sparkling fireworks. But in the midst of all the explosions and Br'er Rabbit's boisterous cheering, something caught Martha's attention behind the group. She looked around, but detected nothing. That was when three lengthy red arms reached out their claws, and snatched Minnie, Daisy, and Martha. The captured toons vanished in puffs of red smoke, and the only clue they left behind was the snow globe.

In Oswald's following short, the rabbit hung onto the outer edge of a balcony, to save his fair maiden from the tower. But Sadie shook her hands in front of him, to shoo the rabbit away. She frantically pointed behind her at an unseen threat then down below them, signaling the rabbit to go back the way he came. Sadie continued to shake her head, and intertwine her fingers, _desperately_ begging Oswald to leave. However, not one of Sadie's warnings registered in Oswald's mind. The rabbit gave Sadie a cheeky grin, grabbed her arm, and proceeded to kiss it repeatedly. Mickey laughed lightly at the display. He found it cute and typical of 1920's animation, in a nostalgic way of course. Gentle water colors flowed over Oswald's cartoon. In the off white courtyard of the Evil Queen's castle, Mickey ran to Minnie's waiting arms. They embraced, and Mickey's red robe evaporated off his arms and torso. The mice shared a few words before Martha came into view. Mickey hugged her and kissed her forehead.

"After the girls were captured, they were trapped in a castle for about eight hours." Mickey told Oswald.

"By who?" Oswald wondered, becoming more and more interested in this adventure Walt designed.

"You'll see. I think." Mickey commented. Another dated cartoon swept over more recent events. In this one, Oswald and a familiar bear character positioned themselves between train carts, with a Checkers board between them. The toons' shorts were stitched and patched, and a hobo bindle on a stick laid beside the bear.

"Who is that?" Mickey queried, pointing at the bear in the top hat.

"Pete." Oswald mumbled.

"His name is Pete too?" Mickey thought out loud. He remembered Walt gave him and the gang a screenshot from Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip (1940), with Pete present in the picture.

"Yeah, but not the one you know." Oswald growled. Mickey flinched. Did he say something wrong? "Don't think I don't know about all the elements Walt recycled into your cartoons!" He fumed. The sequence of Mickey and friends talking on the purple train went unnoticed by the agitated rabbit. "That part where you saw Sadie and me kissing, that short's called Skyscrappers! But you call it Building a Building!" Oswald ranted. "Those were _my_ stunts, _my_ jokes! You just mimicked and took credit for what I'd already done! Just because you're exact copy of my cartoon had sound, everyone thought you were so much better! And Walt knew that." Oswald accused. The rabbit stopped yelling. He made his next words puncture Mickey's mind with the severity of his anguish. "He let you steal from me over and over again." Oswald vented seriously. The rabbit waited a long time to get those words off his chest.

"I didn't know... my cartoons were so influenced by you. I'm sorry you feel Walt cheated you." Mickey carefully apologized. Oswald continued to scowl at the mouse. Hearing 'sorry' didn't make him feel any better. He still wanted the mouse dead; almost as much as he wanted himself dead. To Oswald's surprise, his wish almost came true inside the snow globe. First came a clip of Oswald as a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. After identifying a disoriented Pete, Oswald unveiled his pistol, and commanded Pete to stick 'em up. Pete stood up to his full height, twice as tall as the rabbit, and laughed at Oswald. The rabbit squinted one eye and took aim. He shot off a bullet shaped more like a cannon ball, that sank inside Pete's gut and ricocheted back to Oswald. The projectile hit Oswald straight in the nose. He tumbled around in midair, then fell on his stomach. Naturally he was alright when he dazedly blinked at the fourth wall. However Mickey was not so lucky. Oswald's lips parted as he watched a faceless black robed figure point his gun. Mickey formed a purple psychic shield in front of him, but it did no good. A bullet zoomed passed Mickey's head. Then the mouse looked down at the snow in horror, realizing the bullet leaked Dip. Another bullet shattered Mickey's magic shield, and penetrated Mickey's gut. The mouse jolted forward upon impact. He threw himself down in the snow, tearing off his red robe. But by the time his friends came to him, the mouse laid face down in the snow, motionless.

"You were shot?" Oswald perceived, trying not to sound concerned.

"Uh-huh. So does that change your mind?" Mickey queried. The rabbit's face scrunched with confusion.

"What?" Oswald questioned.

"It's just that... I took a False Dip bullet that put me in the hospital for a day, and I kept going. I still had to find you." Mickey elaborated. "So, now do you believe I wanna help you?" Oswald turned his head away from Mickey and the snow globe.

"You can't help me." The rabbit moaned.

"Oswald, don't..." Mickey began. The following Oswald cartoon distracted him. Oswald drove a plow, pulled by a horse that looked an awful lot like Horace to Mickey. The horse trotted with rhythm as if he were dancing to music. Then the grayscale view transformed into a pure white hospital room. The first friendly faces that the snow globe fully colored in were Clarabelle and Horace. They stayed focused in the middle of the globe for a long time.

"What makes _them_ so special?" Oswald grumbled.

"Well, they're my friends." Mickey replied. The rabbit rolled his eyes. "And my friends, Clarabelle and Horace weren't on this quest the whole time. See, Walt wasn't really specific about who he wanted to help me on my way. So I just gathered my five closest friends. But in that message we listened to at the hospital, for the first time Walt referred to the _eight_ of us. And just before that happened, Horace and Clarabelle showed up and joined us. Walt even showed us an illustration from Horace and I's first cartoon together, called The Plowboy." Mickey marveled happily. Oswald clenched his teeth together. His paws dug into his blue overalls. Instead of red, Oswald's cheeks began to flush light grey. "It just seemed a little... magical?" Mickey hesitated, catching on to Oswald's warning signs. "Like it was... meant to be?" The snow globe's focus shifted away from Clarabelle and Horace, and moved on around the hospital bed, showing all the toons present. Finally the snow globe stopped on Mickey in his hospital bed, and the woman sitting at his left side.

"Who's that?" Oswald inquired. Curiosity subsided some of the rabbit's anger. Mickey looked at Oswald in disbelief. He supposed it made sense that Oswald didn't recognize her. From what he understood, Oswald hadn't seen their parents in person since the twenties. Mickey tried to break the truth to Oswald gently.

"That's Lillian. Your mother." The mouse answered. Oswald breathed in a shocked gasp. His exhale came out choppy and weak. Oswald placed a hand on the globe, covering up Mickey. He scrutinized the old woman. Her hair was so grey, and her posture made her seem so fragile. Oswald felt ashamed that not even a small feature of his mother looked familiar to him. The rabbit buried his face in his hands and sobbed. Mickey waited a few seconds to build up the courage to attempt comforting Oswald. He slowly laid his hand on Oswald's back. The rabbit's breathing hitched a second, but he snarled no threats at Mickey. So Mickey slowly brushed the fur on Oswald's back with his palm.

"It's okay, Oswald." Mickey comforted. "We can visit her tomorrow if you'd like." The mouse offered.

"No." The rabbit wept.

"I know she'd love to see you." Mickey assured.

"No!" Oswald cried. "She didn't want me back! Dad didn't want me back... until you came along." The rabbit cleared his throat. He spoke over the snow globe's silent clip of he and Sadie riding a horse drawn wagon, cuddling together. "The whole time... Mintz... owned me, I never got a call or a telegram from Walt. He never stopped by to see me, or stand up for me. He never even tried to get my rights back." Oswald criticized. The snow globe depicted Mickey and Lillian sitting side by side in the back of Delilah the toon limo. Neon colors of Toontown sped by in the rear window. "Almost two years later Mintz gets canned, and suddenly Dad's all chummy with Walter Lantz." Oswald continued. Mickey stopped rubbing his back. "Then the apology letters, and the extravagant birthday presents started pouring in. It was disgusting. He tried to buy my trust back, so he could have two of you! But I wasn't gonna be played like that again. So I told Lantz I didn't want anything to do with the Disneys anymore!"

"I don't think I understand." Mickey responded honestly.

"He didn't want me back until he saw what a success _you_ were!" Oswald choked out. He wiped his eyes with his ears.

"Oswald. I'm sure Walt did everything in his power to come see you. But maybe... you just didn't see his best efforts because of humans like Charles Mintz." Mickey suggested.

"Humans who kept me in cages and fed me through the bars." Oswald glowered. "He should've tried harder." Mickey didn't know what else to say. Another Oswald clip played inside the snow globe. This time Oswald hung onto the ceiling for dear life. The structure's walls were clearly made of bricks, but Oswald gripped the ceiling as if it were a curtain. A bear character, different from Pete, flapped his arms up to Oswald. It was a running gag in Oswald's cartoons for the toons to momentarily fly or swim through the air, when they realized they'd ran out of solid ground. The bear grabbed onto one of Oswald's legs. But the bear's weight pulled down on Oswald's leg, making one much longer than the other. Oswald let out a mute scream, and tried to shake the bear off. Soon Oswald eyed a mallet laying on a high shelf. It was just within the rabbit's reach. He snatched the mallet's handle, raised it over his ears with both arms, and swung it down upon the bear's head. Stars flew from the impact point, as the bear confusedly released Oswald. He dropped like a rock. Oswald, feeling no guilt over this gave the audience a triumphant smile. However it only lasted until Oswald realized he let go of the ceiling. He made a desperate grasp for the ceiling before falling down with the bear. A light blue wall and ceiling bled through the grey, and Oswald viewed the oddest event Walt related to his cartoons yet. Bugs Bunny clung to a ceiling fan with all four limbs. The snow globe panned down to Mickey, attempting to calmly talk Bugs down. "What's the matter with him?" Oswald asked. Mickey was surprised Oswald didn't ask what in the world Bugs Bunny had to do with any of this.

"He's afraid of the snow globe. He thought it was cursed." Mickey explained. Oswald didn't have the energy to laugh. This whole process was so emotionally draining for him. Plus he was already exhausted from the time crunching journey he had to make to arrive at the old house by midnight.

"Can't you pause this thing or something?" Oswald yawned.

"I don't think so. But there's a chapter break coming up." Mickey replied. Oswald stared at the mouse bewilderedly. "Yes I can pause this thing." He sighed.


	35. Double Troubles Part 2

"Anyway, Walt told Bugs to team up with me, and help search for you." Mickey continued.

"Walt knew Bugs Bunny?" Oswald questioned in disbelief.

"Well, not on friendly terms. Bugs and I had a rough start. So when he and I became friends, Walt wasn't too thrilled. He was really leery of me spending time with Bugs. Even in the clues he left Bugs and I, he teased Bugs a lot. But in a way I think Walt was trying to tell Bugs he trusts him now, and forgives him for... anything he did to me." Mickey explained. Bugs swung down from the ceiling fan in the snow globe.

"What'd he do?" Oswald asked.

"That's another story." Mickey replied.

The snow globe's projection lost all saturation, and portrayed Sadie strutting out her front door. She waved to her potential date. Oswald and Pete waited for her. Pete tipped his hat to her, and Oswald followed suit by lifting his ears off his head. Sadie daintily skipped between the two. Oswald and Pete each took a hand to escort the lady to their rides. The rabbit inched Sadie towards his car, but Pete pulled her towards his car. They went back and forth, yanking and stretching out Sadie's rubber hose arms. Her torso rose up, and stretched to either side of the bachelors. When there was nothing left to divide but her head, Sadie screamed. Oswald and Pete let go of the cat, causing her whole body to spring back into its rightful shape. Outraged by their rudeness, Sadie gave the boys a piece of her mind, turned her nose up, and marched away. Pete and Oswald were left dumbstruck. For once the comparing footage was not in color. Inkblot Mickey and an unfamiliar white rabbit strolled up to a plain white house marked by the number 1800. The mouse knocked on the door. Ortensia Cat opened the door to them. But in an instant the cat lifted her hands, and chewed him out. Oswald watched her signing intently, catching every harsh accusation she threw at Mickey. 'The mouse wasn't kidding.' Oswald thought; not that he would acknowledge Mickey for that.

Oswald's next cartoon featured the rabbit riding on the back of an elephant. He and half the elephant fit inside a circular spotlight, standing out from the rest of the pitch black snow globe. When the spotlight enlarged, the elephant was revealed to be riding a bicycle. Mickey understood now why Walt first considered a circus elephant to keep this clue. Lush greens blanketed in glittering white overgrew the inkblot's clip. Soon Winifred strolled by, carrying Mickey and Bugs through the winter jungle. Mickey crossed his fingers for the next clue flashback. Unfortunately none came. Only a white storm raged around the tiny glass globe. Nothing happened for some time.

"What happened?" Oswald inquired curiously. Mickey bowed his head.

"When Bugs and I were in the jungle, we were attacked by these demons. They had tried to take the snow globe from us before. But this time... Bugs got in a rumble with one of them, and broke the snow globe." Mickey remembered glumly. "Walt's clues still played, but the still pictures that always came with a clue, they were gone. Sort of like what it's doing now." The mouse gestured to the snowflake flurries. Mentally, Mickey looked on the bright side. At least Oswald wouldn't see Fanny with Happy's arm around her.

"So what did you do?" Oswald questioned.

"Well, after that we had to jump off a waterfall to see this clue that only worked underwater. It was the first time I saw you." Mickey told. Oswald gave the mouse a strange look. "I couldn't see very well under the water, but I know now that I saw... Lillian holding you." Mickey continued. He still felt wary of referring to Walt and Lillian as Dad and Mom around his temperamental brother. "So then went to Two Tone Town to interview Fanny Cottontail." That caught the rabbit off guard.

"You talked to Fanny?" Oswald queried surprisedly.

"Yeah. She called you Ozzie the whole time." Mickey recalled. Oswald half smiled. 'She would say that.' He reminisced.

"So you asked her if I was around?" Oswald predicted. The mouse shook his head.

"Oswald, there's something you should know about Walt." Mickey began. "He never told me a thing about you when he was alive. I never even knew your name until a couple days ago. In fact until later clues, Walt never called you by name." The mouse confessed.

"Must have made it easier to ignore me, without you saying my name all the time." Oswald retorted.

"Oswald." Mickey stated. They were getting off subject. "It's what he _did_ call you, you really need to know." He redirected.

"I don't care what he called me! And I don't appreciate you back talking me!" Oswald exploded. The rabbit kicked the snow globe off the mattress. Oswald grabbed Mickey by the throat. "I let you live this long to answer my questions! Now finish your stupid story, so I can kick the bucket without another interruption!" Mickey was speechless, even when Oswald released his throat. Never in Mickey's life had he ever met someone so angry and confused. He couldn't fathom _wanting_ to die, let alone taking another life with him. So far Oswald experienced three moments of clarity. One, when Mickey spoke of Sadie and her boys. Two, when Lillian appeared in the snow globe. And three, when Oswald watched Mickey take a bullet. A wife and children, a mother, and a caring brother should have been plenty of reasons for Oswald to live. Alas, Oswald still held a grudge for the past and saw no possible future. At this rate, Mickey worried he couldn't change the rabbit's mind after all.

"Fanny... said she suspected the humans abused you." Mickey hoarsely whispered, gently picking up the snow globe. "But you never let her know just how bad you had it, did you?" Heavy panting was Oswald's only response. "After that, Bugs and I searched for my friends out in the desert. We had to get a camel and a guide to find our way. But the guide turned out to be an escaped convict, who tried killing me to avenge one of his associates, and..." Mickey babbled. "That clue was just a big mess. Still we got everyone to Bugs' house safe and sound." He concluded.

Suddenly the snow globe's storm flashed like lightning, and the constantly falling snow became a still grey blur. Darker streaks in the grey began to move, transforming into Oswald and Sadie. The rabbit who wore a black Santa hat and a scraggly white beard, watched his 'reindeer' companion slip down the chimney. The make shift reindeer was only a white horse wearing an antler headband. Oswald untied the sack between them, and out popped a Christmas tree, fully decorated in round ornaments and toys. Oswald and Sadie gleefully smiled. Hues of green, gold, and red outshined the colorless animation. Mickey's family sat at the bottom of their Christmas tree. The kids dug under the branches, and sorted the gifts into piles by name. Mickey noticed himself off to the right. Like Oswald, he too wore a Santa hat.

"Walt gave us a day to take a break from the quest, and just celebrate our families like it was Christmas. Quite a coincidence he was just a few days off." Mickey commented.

The bright Christmas colors lightened into white, and then formed new inkblot shapes. Oswald sat behind the wheel of a 1920's styled limousine. He turned his back to the viewers, and waved his arm out the window. Sadie skipped away from him, but didn't leave his sight without blowing a kiss his way. Oswald leaned back in the driver's seat, sighing dreamily. However the animation's counterpart didn't look the least bit similar. The snow globe captured Minnie's image, sitting at the Mouse family's dining table. She appeared to be in deep thought, with her fingers interlinked under her chin. Mickey assumed this moment happened right before he entered Sadie's birthday code.

"I don't get it." Oswald announced.

"Walt had some final words to tell Sadie in that clue. He wanted me to play the message to her, if we ever crossed paths again. But then the snow globe showed an illustration of Minnie. Of course, Minnie figured out right away that... you and Sadie were in love." Mickey responded, facing Oswald. But the rabbit wouldn't make eye contact."Basically Walt gave me a picture of Minnie, so I would understand how you feel about Sadie." Mickey explained. The rabbit kept his lips sealed.

The scenery returned to black and white, as Oswald rode a lengthy dachshund, suspended in the air by a couple of balloons. Suddenly black raindrops poured down, and the sky turned dark around them. White subtitles read 'When day broke-'. The cartoon cut to Pete, snoozing in a bed perched atop his propeller plane. He awoke, folded his bed into the plane's lower compartment, and did some routine stretches. Elsewhere in the light grey morning sky, Oswald furiously grilled the dachshund to flap his ears and pick up the pace. But the dog only hung his head tiredly. Oswald clenched his fists in frustration. His fists went to his ears, as he plucked them off his head. Then the rabbit began rowing with the ears, which pushed the airborne dog along a little faster. Soon Oswald came gliding past Pete in his plane. The rabbit laughed at the bear mockingly, unaware that Pete had a trick up his sleeve. He grabbed his riffle from inside the plane, and fired at Oswald's balloons. The rear balloon popped, causing the dog's bottom half to fall. Oswald slid down the dog's back and barely saved himself by the dog's tail. Pete shot off another bullet, taking out the last balloon. The rabbit plummeted out of the clouds. Luckily he was saved by his ejecting parachute. Oswald's grey sky bled shades of dark blue. The memory of Mickey and friends also riding a strange plane overshadowed and blocked out the old animation. A green parrot stood at the tip of their giant paper airplane, calmly steering his umbrella. Behind him, eight toons cowered away from the edges. Mickey clung to the snow globe protectively. The snow globe's perspective dipped down off the side of the plane. Now Oswald could see the storm brewing directly below them. Lightning flickered inside a funnel of purple clouds. At the center, wild winds whipped at dark water. Enormous waves crashed together. Oswald's eyes widened at what the parrot did next. The bird pulled the mouse out into thin air, and just when he released Mickey's hand, the paper plane and all its passengers free fell into the eye of the storm. The snow globe's perspective dropped with the toons, and was swallowed up by black water.

In an instant the darkness cleared into tranquil grey sea. Fanny however was far from calm, as she flailed and splashed about to keep herself afloat. Oswald rowed up to her in a boat just as the fem rabbit slipped underwater. He tiptoed to the boat's end, and bent his knees a few times before working up the courage to take the full leap. The rabbit belly-flopped in. Fanny and Oswald resurfaced together, but before Oswald could grab his girlfriend's hand and pull her to safety, a wave carried Fanny high above his reach. Up and down the raging waves tossed the two rabbits. Dark purple clouds hazed over Oswald and Ortensia. The snow globe picked up right where it left off with Mickey's adventure. Zooming towards the crashing waves, Mickey suddenly became aglow with a blue light. The mouse held out his arms, and the blue light engulfed the water. Monstrous waves glowing sky blue, towered over Mickey, but rather than crushing him, they wrapped around him. Mickey surrounded himself and his friends in a shield of water and psychic energy. Oswald's jaw dropped at the display. It was baffling to Oswald, how the mouse could hold so much power and control over nature.

"How are you doing that?" The rabbit breathed.

"Ha. Would you believe it's magic?" Mickey replied. To demonstrate, Mickey summoned his sorcerer's apprentice robe, and willed the snow globe to hover in thin air. He drew a clockwise air circle under the snow globe, making the snow globe spin. Oswald marveled at the trick. "I'm in training to become a sorcerer." Mickey commented. He willed the snow globe to float to Oswald's arms, then showed off another trick. The mouse held out an empty palm, but when he closed it, silver sand leaked from his fist. The sand sprinkled over an invisible object on the floor, causing the shining particles to roll off the top, and build up on the sides. A metal dome developed as the silver specks merged together in a round shape over the unseen matter. Mickey picked up the dome cover and a plate made of the same material underneath. He passed the platter and dome to Oswald, trading it for the snow globe. Oswald gingerly grasped the platter, hardly believing it was real. The rabbit removed the dome, and beheld a circular cake coated in white icing. The top was decorated in a green icing reef, with assorted red hard candies. Mickey opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Oswald's ravenous attack on the cake. The rabbit stuffed his mouth by the handfuls. Licking every last glob of icing off his fingers, the rabbit moaned, satisfied by the sensation of filling his stomach. He hadn't felt so full in weeks, maybe months. Letting Oswald savor the last crumbs on the plate, Mickey returned his attention to the snow globe. Colorless illustrations moved behind the glass again.

This time Oswald was depicted in a war zone. The rabbit took off in his fighter plane, tailing an enemy mouse pilot. Agilely the planes swerved through the sky, until Oswald caught up to the mouse. Oswald and the mouse went head to head, while the planes went nose to nose. Stars flew from the brawl of fists and wings. Suddenly Oswald and the mouse jumped from their planes to continue their fight one on one. The aircraft kept swatting at each other with their wings, while Oswald and the mouse duked it out in the open air. When the pilots realized where they were standing, they hopped back in their planes. The rabbit's plane then tossed the enemy plane into a tailspin, and trailed it to the ground. Oswald's plane crash landed on top of the mouse's plane, crushing both aircraft into a pile of scrap metal. Naturally Oswald bounced out of the wreckage completely unscathed. His nemesis tried to run away, but Oswald pounced on him, and began hammering his fists down on the mouse. Oswald showed no mercy, beating down the rodent half his size. They punched, tackled, and rolled until the mouse laid motionless in the dirt, taking Oswald's hits. Finally Oswald stood the mouse up, pulled back his fist, and knocked the inkblot rodent's head clear off his shoulders. Though the scene was fast paced and meant to be humorous, Mickey gulped at the brutality. He didn't need to look up. For he sensed Oswald smirking at him. Blood red clouds firing purple lightning bolts consumed the grey field. Under the hellish storm, Mickey and Minnie fought off two identical monsters draped in black robes. Their black skin pulsed with purple veins, and their faces appeared mutated with tall pointed ears, and curving horns. The creatures assaulted the mice by shooting fire from their arms, but Mickey and Minnie stood their ground with energy bursts and the magic sword. But when Minnie abruptly dropped her sword and fled, the dark creatures combined their fire power to finish Mickey off in one blow. But before they could attack, a pink lightning bolt struck Mickey's hat. Magic channeled the electricity out of the glowing star shapes, to strike the monsters. Two creatures launched backwards, but only one hit the ground. Mickey's friends immediately circled the assailant. It was Horace who yanked off the skin tight mask.

"Who's that?" Oswald asked. What he saw was a mouse, slightly resembling Mickey, but with smaller ears and a bigger nose.

"Mortimer Mouse. The bad guy behind the demon attacks." Mickey answered. "Walt tricked him into thinking he could be studio mascot if he beat me in battle. Mortimer's always been a big obnoxious jerk. So in Walt's last deeds he hoodwinked Mortimer and taught him a lesson." The mouse smiled. "And it was all worth it. I've never seen Mortimer so embarrassed."

"So if your 'clues' imitated my shorts, Dad just needed that loser and his demons to replace Pete?" Oswald figured out.

"Yeah, I guess so. Also having a masked mastermind chasing us added to the mystery." Mickey said.

"What mystery?" The rabbit questioned confusedly. Mickey's response, or the train of thought leading up to it, was interrupted by another black and white clip. In a mostly white setting, Oswald flirted with Fanny via winking and stroking one finger under her chin. Fanny fell for Oswald's courtship, and let him scoot closer to her. However the rabbits' romantic moment is ruined by a nosey cow. The cow stretched her neck a little to far over Oswald's shoulder, which set off the rabbit's temper. Oswald angrily shooed the cow away. Thus, the cow sulked off, leaving the rabbits alone. Fanny sat down on a bench which stretched around a tree, and Oswald joined her. The rabbits rolled their pupils around their heads in bliss. Beautiful florescent colors painted over the white. Mickey and friends stood on a white sand beach, in the dawning light of a gorgeous sunrise. Aside from Mickey and Minnie, all the toons hung their heads in sorrow. The comparison wasn't clear at all. Once again, Mickey had to interpret.

"Walt said goodbye to the whole gang, except for me and Minnie. It was the last clue they were allowed to hear. The tale end of the journey was left to... just the two of us." Mickey told, unhappily.

The final Oswald cartoon up until the present one commenced. A male cat character wobbly pedaled a bike down a rocky country road. Fanny uncontrollably bounced in the sidecar. Oswald sprinted to catch up to them. The bicycle crashed into a tree, causing the bicycle to scrunch up into a unicycle. Without warning, the side car broke off and threw Fanny head first into a lake. Unable to swim to safety, Fanny struggled to keep her head above water. Meanwhile, Oswald staggered far behind. Sweat dripping off his face, his laid back ears, and his outward hanging tongue were signs of his exhaustion. He couldn't run any further if his life depended on it. But then the bolded word **HELP** escaped Fanny's lips. When the word literally reached Oswald, the rabbit was too tired to pay the message any mind. That is until the black **P** rotated upside down, and kicked Oswald in the tail like a boot. The rabbit jumped in surprise, and looked to the word for a problem. One stem of the **H** grew a hand, and jabbed a thumb in Fanny's direction. Suddenly remembering Fanny's peril, Oswald grabbed the floating letters, and rode the word **HELP** like a race horse the rest of the way to Fanny's rescue. He rushed to the water's edge, and laid his body flat with his toes on the shore, one arm on a rock under his chest, and the other arm reaching for Fanny. But the clip ended before Mickey could see if Oswald saved Fanny. Judging by the drowning scene, Mickey could predict what would mirror that in the present. The snow globe flooded with liquid darkness. Blue wisps highlighted the liquid's trembling. Slowly the snow globe's perspective floated up to light blue rays shining down from the surface. A round eared silhouette blocked out some of the surface light. Mickey realized he saw himself looking into Yen Sid's cauldron. But something wasn't right. His master had to pick him up to see Oswald's nightmare. However, Yen Sid's silhouette was no where to be seen. Mickey gasped. According to the snow globe...

Somehow Mickey held himself over the stone cauldron alone.

"I used my magic to find you tonight... in this house." Mickey partially lied.

"But how'd you know I'd be here?" Oswald inquired.

"I learned a lot from my teacher tonight." Mickey improvised. The potion emitted a white orb that filled up the whole globe. The paleness saturated into different hues, painting an etched glass windowed door labeled 'Charles B. Mintz'.

"No!" Oswald cried. Mickey thought fast, putting his hand on the rabbit's shoulder.

"It's okay, Oswald. It's okay." The mouse tried to soothe. "It's only a memory." A memory, it certainly was. Oswald's bottled up anger crumbled into fear, as he witnessed the snow globe look to Walt just as he had. It only took a second for the rabbit to realize his own memories flashed before his eyes. Mickey was right. Everything the mouse saw pertaining to this day, was absolutely true. "Oswald. You don't have to watch this." Mickey placated. But the rabbit did. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the blurry shadows beyond the door, his ear lodged in the gap, and Mintz's perfectly collected expression as he yanked the rabbit up by the ears. The memory was silent, but the haunting voices that scarred him for life echoed in Oswald's mind.

"Stay here, Son."

"You're finished. Go back to Kansas."

"I never liked that damn rabbit anyway!"

"That reminds me. Before you go, say goodbye to your pet."

Oswald brought his hands over his eyes near the end. He tried to wipe his tears away without Mickey's notice.

"Okay, I believe you." Oswald mumbled. He blinked and refocused on the globe, only to find Mickey standing in the snow, outside their old home. The mouse climbed the stairs, strode through the dark house, until he found a line of light under the bathroom door. Now Oswald understood what was happening and exactly when. Despite everything that he'd seen before, this was the clue that made it all real. The mouse nudged the door open, and a vile of Dip came hurtling at him. The scene played on exactly as it happened thirty minutes ago. Like the previous animated clip, the snow globe cut the scene short, so it was unclear whether the hero rescued the rabbit in distress. Mickey and Oswald were blown away by a sparkling blizzard, that slowed into tiny specks drifting over figurine Mickey's head. The 'Trolley clue' as Walt called it was finished. "Why would you do all of that?" Oswald wondered.

"There's a lot the snow globe didn't show you." Mickey pointed out. "But I'd do it all again for you and Walt." He proclaimed.

"But why?" Oswald pressed. "A few days ago you didn't even know my name. What am I worth to you?" Mickey held his tongue. It was still too soon to say 'brother'.

"Walt valued you, more than you'll ever know. I did this because he matters to me, and you matter so much to him." Mickey complimented.

"Baloney." Oswald muttered.

"Oswald, he loved you!" Mickey exclaimed. "He loved you until the day he died! Can't you see that?" The mouse shook the snow globe for emphasis.

"He never came back." Oswald stated numbly.

"Well, I did! I came all this way for you!" Mickey declared. Oswald felt at a loss for words. The mouse's spirit and determination was admirable. But what did it change? "I tried to tell you before. About what Walt called you." Mickey went on. Instead of yelling, this time Oswald listened quietly. "I didn't know I was looking for you most of the time, because Walt called you a different name."

"Humor me." Oswald quipped sarcastically.

"He called you, _Treasure._ " Mickey answered.


	36. Poor Papa's Nightmare

December 24, 1927

Night had fallen quickly. The frigid winter winds blew at the tiny house, but the occupants paid no mind. All attention revolved around the candle lit living room, as the family finished their last Christmas Eve traditions, before retiring for the night. The house had no chimney, so the three stockings hung on the drawer knobs of the buffet cabinet. The Christmas tree was laced in silver garland and strands of white beads. Boxes wrapped in decorative paper laid under the tree. And each gift was diligently guarded by a black rabbit. Young Oswald laid on his stomach in front of the tree; eyes locked on the presents. He lifted an ear at the sound of footsteps treading on the carpet. Before he knew it, two hands grasped Oswald's sides, lifting him off the floor. The rabbit didn't fret. He felt safe enough in his own home to know it could only be one of his parents. So the rabbit playfully curled his fingers under the tree skirt, and drew 'claw marks' in the carpet as the human picked him up.

"Oswald." Walt laughed. "You know they'll still be there in the morning." The tiny rabbit curled into Walt's arms, but kept his eyes trained at the tree.

"And just think if you go to sleep now, Santa will bring you even more presents." Lillian bargained. Oswald craned his head back, off Walt's elbow to get an upside down look at his mother. He slyly grinned at her. Though he was only eight months old, Oswald could be quite mature at times. Thus, in the time his parents taught him all he needed to know about Christmas, Oswald figured out that Santa Clause didn't exist. That was why he'd written the letter only to show off his cursive writing, and he'd already helped himself to the milk and cookies in the kitchen.

"C'mon, Oswald." Walt said, adjusting the rabbit up right against his chest. "Tomorrow's a busy day. It's about time you got some sleep." He prompted. Though the young toon wasn't tired, Oswald yawned to humor the humans. Walt carried the rabbit toward the hallway, while Lillian went to the single lamp giving the room a soft glow. During which, Oswald observed something... concerning across the room. Before Lillian could pull the beaded string and shut off the light, Oswald cupped his hands over Walt's ear. It was one of Oswald's many mute communications. This one said 'I have to tell you a secret/something important'. The man stopped in his tracks. "Hold on a second, Lilly." Walt requested. The woman paused. "We'll be up for a few more minutes. Oswald and I need to have a talk." Walt explained. Lillian always found herself amused at how Walt spoke as if the voiceless rabbit actually spoke back to him.

"Okay, but make it short. I'll be waiting to say goodnight." Lillian advised the rabbit. Oswald nodded in understanding and blew her a kiss. His mother always tucked him into bed, and read him stories. Tonight she'd promised him the first Christmas story. As Lillian left for the bedrooms in the back of the house, Walt set Oswald down on the carpet.

"Alright. What's the matter?" Walt tiredly questioned. In response Oswald lead Walt to the stockings hanging from the buffet. Two stockings were crafted with great detail. Whoever stitched these stockings put a lot of time into the holly and pine tree designs. Oswald's however, was a plain white sock with his name sewn onto it. The rabbit stood eye level with the stocking toes, just waiting for Walt to have the realization. It did not come. "Son, I told you we're not opening one present until morning." Walt reminded. Oswald shook his head. To demonstrate his point, Oswald patted the leg of his stocking. It made a crunching plastic sound. He stepped over to Lillian's stocking, and repeated the motion. This time Oswald's hand indented into the sock, since there was a soft fabric stuffed within. When Oswald came to Walt's stocking, he closed his whole fist around the leg. He shook it a little, emphasizing that there were just a few small gifts in the stocking's toe. Compared to the others, Walt's stocking wasn't very full at all. Oswald drooped his ears, and looked up at his father with sorrowful eyes. The man knelt beside the rabbit, and held his shoulder.

"Oswald, don't worry." Walt bemusedly comforted. "I've enough presents under the tree to make up for that. Don't think I've been left out." Oswald gave a small smile, and nodded. Walt saw a teaching opportunity, and continued. "Besides, I don't want presents this year. I don't need them." Oswald stared incredulously. The Disneys weren't the most financially well off family. The rabbit wondered why Walt wouldn't take advantage of the free gifts. "This year I found a treasure, worth more than the rarest diamond. It's one of a kind, and too valuable to me to put a price on." Walt elaborated. Oswald's expression begged to know more. Walt opened his arms to Oswald, and the rabbit crawled into the man's lap. Holding tightly to his son, Walt finished. "The treasures we can't gift wrap, or sell in a store... Those are the most precious treasures of all. And you'll always be mine, Son." An amazed smile grew on Oswald's face.

"Well, don't look so surprised. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." Walt chimed. The rabbit's tiny arms hugged Walt the best they could. He only wished he had the voice to tell his creator the same thing. Heartfelt as it all was, the mischievous rabbit couldn't resist poking fun at Walt's words. Oswald scooted out of the embrace, and reached for his mother's stocking. He then tilted his head and wore a sly smirk, as his pupils pointed back and forth between Walt and the stocking. 'Really?' He communicated. "Yes, your mother's important too, and I love her dearly." Walt confessed. "But to tell you the truth, I never really understood girls." Oswald silently giggled. Walt patted the rabbit's head. "If that's all, then you should be heading for bed." The man insisted. Oswald agreed, hopping up to Walt's shoulder. Walt proceeded to carry the little rabbit to his bedroom, while Oswald let the warm feelings of the Christmas season sink in. Presents, cookies, snow, good will, and two treasures he'd never lose from his heart. The rabbit leaned down to communicate one message his mother taught him. He kissed Walt on the cheek.

'I love you, Dad.'

December 25, 1983 12:39 am

The moment Mickey spoke the word 'Treasure', Oswald could not make a sound. His inner demons that fed on the anger and disappointment he felt towards Walt and the human race, were speechless. The word, no the _name_ still held so much love and hope. Oswald couldn't bare to speak ill of Walt, with the most precious memories fresh in his mind. A bright beacon that was hope, chased away all pitch black clouds of rage and pain. But in their place, hope was quickly overcast by a thick grey/blue fog that was sadness.

"You're right." Oswald breathed. "He called me Treasure a couple times." To Mickey's surprise, Oswald tried to smile at him, though he looked like he'd rather break down.

"Oswald?" Mickey began. "No one has to be Dipped today. You don't have to hurt, or be hurt anymore. I'm here for you now." The mouse soothed. Slowly, Mickey took Oswald's hand. The rabbit gripped Mickey's hand with excessive force. It was the only thing he could do to hold back new rivers of tears. "I won't leave you to fend for yourself. I'll take you into my home, and treat you like one of the family, like you deserve to be." Mickey promised. Now his own eyes began to water. "And I'll do anything to make you happy, because you don't deserve to die today!" He choked. The tears now trickled freely down Mickey's face. This motion increased the sadness in Oswald's subconscious, letting doubt dwell in the fog. 'This moment won't last. Mickey's charity won't last. What will you do when you have no where left to go?' The voices whispered. "I'll only ask one thing from you." Mickey bargained. "It won't make a difference to me if you say yes or no."

"What?" Oswald shakily asked.

"Forgive Dad." Mickey pleaded. "I know I can never completely understand what you went through. And I can't justify some of the choices Walt made. But if you can find it in your heart to forgive him, I promise life will get a lot better." The mouse vowed. "Please, forgive him." He begged. Oswald bowed his head thoughtfully. His eyelids fell shut over his deep ponderings.

"I will... try." Oswald decided. Without hesitation, Mickey swiftly wrapped his arms around Oswald, giving him a big hug. The rabbit cringed at the sudden contact, and shoved Mickey off of him. In a snap, he regained his standoffish demeanor. "Alright! Cut the waterworks before we drown!" Oswald barked. Instead of starting an argument over who shed more tears just moments ago, Mickey gave Oswald his space.

"Thanks for giving me a chance, Oswald." Mickey beamed, wiping his eyes. The rabbit just shrugged.

"So what happens now?" Oswald questioned. Mickey picked up the snow globe for guidance. Suddenly he realized there remained one window on the train unlit. Mickey looked to Oswald.

"There's one clue left." Mickey marveled. "And since I don't know the code, then you must." He deduced.

"What are you talking about? I don't know any code!" Oswald exclaimed.

"Let me explain. Every clue in the snow globe had to have an activation code. See?" Mickey showed the rabbit the bottom side of the snow globe. "As you saw earlier, every clue represents one of your cartoons. Well every code, represents your cartoon's theatrical release date." He pointed to the numbers. "See, this code stands for September 5, 1927." Mickey taught. Oswald nodded, understanding. "Do you remember the cartoon that premiered on this date?" The mouse asked.

"Trolley Troubles." Oswald answered simply.

"Good! What about the one before that?" Mickey encouraged.

"Nothing. That was my first released cartoon." Oswald responded. Mickey couldn't believe his ears. _Nothing?!_ They couldn't finish the adventure with nothing. Sure Mickey had found Walt's treasure and saved him from death, but still. He didn't come all this way to arrive at a dead end.

"Well what about your first cartoon produced?" The mouse suggested. "Mine weren't released in order. My debut was in Plane Crazy, 1928, but that was my _third_ cartoon to hit theaters." Mickey informed. It was a definite possibility, Oswald figured.

"Lemme see that." Oswald demanded. Mickey handed the snow globe over to Oswald. The rabbit carefully turned the discs to a secret date only he would know: his true animation birthday. Whatever message this clue contained, Oswald knew Walt had saved it especially for him. Oswald glanced up at Mickey, when the snow globe didn't change. Mickey sealed the finishing touch, by pressing his thumb to the metallic snowflake. Suddenly a beam of sparkling purple fire rocketed from the snow globe's top decoration. Mickey's hand flew from the globe, narrowly dodging the sparks. The neon flames screeched up to the ceiling and exploded in a smoky star burst. Reds, blues, greens, noisily launched from the snow globe. Since nothing was catching fire, the fireworks had to be some sort of magical illusion. Still they all looked, sounded, smelled, and felt like real fireworks. Mickey's heart swelled with joy, at the beautiful sight. Where ever he was, Mickey knew Walt was celebrating. The snow globe swirled its blizzard around the globe. In the light of the fireworks, the white snowflakes flashed rainbow colors. All at once the fireworks chorused one big explosion, and burned out into smoke. The room fell silent, so Walt's final words to the living could be heard.

"Oswald, my boy, I'm so... so happy you're here! I can't begin to tell you how glad it makes me to know you and Mickey are together. For once in such a long time, I know you are in good hands. Oswald, my obvious hope for you, is that you and Mickey become close and look after each other like brothers should. I also highly expect Mickey to help get your rights back to Walt Disney Studio. It is the most desired goal, I know I cannot achieve in my lifetime. I can only pray the near future will provide the right circumstances for you and Mickey.

However, if you don't want to return to Disney, I understand. Where you want to go, and where you want to belong, is entirely your choice. Walter Lantz explained to me why you didn't want to come back before, and I completely understand why you may feel the same way now. You have every right to hate me. Yes, I walked away, and I'm truly, sincerely, sorry! I'm so sorry, Oswald! But God, did I try my hardest to see you again. I sent messengers; none of which worked. It wasn't until several years later when I acquired an agent to watch over you and secretly lend a hand when possible. Maybe someday you'll learn who that is. But Oswald, the hardest part was always being out of reach, and never being legally allowed to intervene. I'm sorry I couldn't bring you a decent meal before those people force fed you that slop unfit for pigs. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you those times George splashed thinner on you for amusement. And I'm sorry I wasn't there to hold you and tell you every word that came from Charles' mouth was a lie. I _do_ love you, Son. Nothing can ever change that. You're _not_ worthless or weak. You're a one of a kind, clever, adventurous, big-hearted rabbit, and your the bravest person I've met; human or toon. Don't try to tell me that's not something the world needs. Of course it wasn't apparent when Mintz hurt and lied to you, but you are loved too much to question your worth! You mean so much to me, your mother, and the rest of our family. Furthermore, Mickey was _not_ created as a means to replace you. Yes, I created another toon star to save what left I had of a business. That was mandatory. But Mickey is in no way, my new first son. You two are both special to me, and I love you equally. I don't regret bringing Mickey to life at all. I just wish I could have kept you both safe from harm all these years. I'm so sorry Oswald, that this fate couldn't be helped.

So that is all I can say for our past. What I can say for you two and your future is this. My ending is your new beginning. Go make something of it. Be the gentlemen-like but still rough around the edges, dreamers I taught you to be. Keep the studio and Disneyland alive, and never lose sight of what they stand for. Stay in touch whatever paths you choose. You two have long histories, and can learn a lot from one another. Never neglect the most prized treasures you have, and always look for more to cherish. Speaking of treasures Mickey, you may want to tell Amelia about this little adventure. Finally, don't imagine this is goodbye. Who knows? Maybe you'll hear from me again someday. Well done, Mickey. Welcome home, Oswald."

The snow globe's blizzard bit at the glass a few seconds longer. Then the snow crystals merged back into white plastic pieces. As they fluttered down to the ice pond, a truly magical sight appeared before the toons' eyes. Figurine Mickey, who leaned forward as if preparing to race, no longer skated alone. He was joined by an Oswald figurine, who balanced on one blade, waving is other foot, arms, and ears in the air. The snow globe rabbit's face held a huge smile. Similar to Figurine Mickey's attire of yellow skates, red shorts, and a blue scarf, Figurine Oswald wore black skates, blue shorts, and a red scarf. Mickey gleamed at the surprise, and even Oswald seemed satisfied. Then a mechanical sound caught Mickey's attention. The sound raised its pitch until it mimicked a toy train whistle. Suddenly the snow globe train wheels began to spin in sync, and the locomotive crawled around the tracks.

"Oh my gosh." Mickey marveled. Walt definitely knew how to save the best surprise for last. The toons continued to stare in amazement as the train with twenty-six bright windows circled around their ice-skating miniatures. The train completed its final lap around the snow globe, and the whistle blew out one last prolonged note. "That means it's over." Mickey announced, when the train was quiet and still. A peaceful feeling settled over the room. Oswald's hostility and Mickey's worry faded, leaving them surrounded by a plethora of options. What to do next and what to say was shrouded in mystery. Yet the energy around them felt... hopeful.

"That was really something." Oswald commented. "Thanks for, um... helping me see it through to the end." He mumbled.

"You're welcome." Mickey said. The mouse took a deep breath. "Oswald? We can go home now, if you're ready." Mickey offered. Oswald stared a moment before nodding.

"Yeah. Let's go." The rabbit agreed. He stood up from the mattress, and led the way out of their past bedroom. Mickey followed with the snow globe tucked under his arm. At the doorway Oswald hesitated. "I should probably drain the tub of Dip before we leave." He remembered. Mickey gave Oswald an anxious look. "Relax. I won't try anything like that." Oswald insisted. Even if Oswald gave his honest word to make an effort to forgive and move on, Mickey still didn't like the idea of Oswald alone with a tub full of Dip. Mickey reached out a hand to stop Oswald. Maybe he'd feel better if he accompanied the rabbit. But before any protest could leave Mickey's lips, Oswald's body froze in mid-step. The rabbit stayed unnaturally still. His torso didn't even rise the slightest from breathing. Suddenly Mickey sensed a powerful and authoritative aura behind him. The mouse whipped around.

"Master!" Mickey exclaimed joyfully. "I really did it! I saved him!"

"Indeed, my apprentice. You have restored a great gift to your family." Yen Sid praised. He glanced to Oswald's form, frozen in time. "He may not appreciate it for some time, but Oswald has also been restored with new life. Your father would be proud."

"Thank you, Master." Mickey replied, bowing his head.

"Now to the real matter at hand." Yen Sid continued. Mickey stared in confusion. "I am not here simply to congratulate you. Before you left the tower abruptly, I meant to discuss your daughter with you." The sorcerer explained. 'Martha?' Mickey wondered.

"Is she alright, Master?" The mouse asked.

"Nothing is wrong I assure you. There is a magic inside of Martha. Close contact with the snow globe caused some of the magic to channel out of her. Because of this, her sense of hearing has become psychically advanced and sensitive to other magical sources. As long as her magic stays contained until she learns proper technique, she is not in any danger. She is only beginning a metamorphosis to develop and control her true power." Yen Sid explained calmly. Mickey was shocked by this revelation. He expected Peter to study and one day earn great power as his father had. But Martha apparently was animated with untapped magical forces already inside her. She would need protection and disciplined training immediately.

"What do we do?" Mickey inquired.

"I shall tutor Martha in the same way I have tutored you, my apprentice. Only Martha's lessons will require more attention if she is to stabilize the raw energy within her sooner. She will train in my realm day and night." Yen Sid proposed. Mickey could hardly fathom the idea of his little girl living Master Yen Sid's extremely 'humbling' lifestyle at the tower full time. He could recall practicing magic at the tower for weeks at a time, and always coming home physically exhausted from the master's routine hard labor. Not to mention the occasional broom thwacking his head. "Or," Yen Sid added. "you can try to teach her yourself, stay vigilant of all magical objects and creatures in your ever expanding Magic Kingdom, and hope for the best outcome." Mickey had an unpleasant feeling Martha and especially Minnie would not agree to Yen Sid's terms. However, he was no sorcerer, and hated to insult his master by pretending he was fit to be one. Caught between the two choices, naturally the wrong choice and the choice he didn't want to admit was right, Mickey opted to discuss Yen Sid's terms with Martha first.

"I'll give you my answer the day after New Year's." Mickey promised. Yen Sid accepted the mouse's response.

"Then I will return on the date." Yen Sid stated. The sorcerer disappeared from sight in flashes of white and blue rays. In that instant Mickey felt a hand slap his shoulder.

"So who's Amelia?" Oswald queried. Mickey flinched away from him, taking in a panicked breath.

"I thought you were draining the Dip!" The mouse cried. Oswald rolled his eyes.

"Obviously you beat me to it." Oswald quipped, holding his open palms out. Mickey looked at the rabbit strangely then rushed to the bathroom. He swung the door open. The room was spotless. Not one drop of Dip remained. Oswald peaked in the bathroom as well. "So ya didn't trust me." Oswald deduced. "That's okay. If I were you, I would've done the same thing to me." He teased. Mickey backed away from the tile floor.

"Let's just go home." He decided. Oswald lead the way through the dark house of childhood memories. On their way out, Oswald brought up some questions he couldn't quite wrap his brain around.

"So who's Amelia?" The rabbit repeated.

"Our sister." Mickey deadpanned. "She and I don't get along."

"Oh, great. Another one." Oswald muttered jokingly. He didn't care to look behind him at Mickey's reaction. "You know what I don't get?" The rabbit went on. "If Dad didn't acquire that agent until 'years later', how'd he know about things that happened to me just months after he left?" Oswald pushed the outside door open.

"I wouldn't know." Mickey lied. They breathed in the crisp winter air. Mickey held Oswald's hand. "Home's just a blink away. Ya ready?" He asked. The rabbit nodded. Suddenly the sorcerer's apprentice teleported them away to the Mouse house, specifically just inside the front door. Mickey lead Oswald up the dark stairwell to one of many guest bedrooms. When Oswald was settled with pillows and blankets, Mickey bid him goodnight, and left for his and Minnie's room. On his way, he passed by the kids' rooms, and imagined their reactions to finding Oswald in their home.

This would definitely be a Christmas morning to remember.

 **Author's Note: Don't go away, folks. There's one more chapter coming up!**


	37. Epilogue

EPILOGUE

January 9, 1984 1:34 pm

It was fortunate Oswald had enjoyed Christmas Day, because he had to look at the decorations long afterwards. Two weeks passed, and the Mouse mansion was still heavily decorated in holly and lights. Of course the Christmas décor was still out because the Mouse family had been concerned with other things. Since the day Mickey invited Oswald into his home, the mouse made it his priority to welcome Oswald back into the Disney family. They surprised Lillian with Oswald's presence on Christmas Day, and had lunch with Sharon on her birthday, the thirty-first. By the time Mickey showed Oswald to four others, he finally realized Oswald behaved extremely tense, he could even say _paranoid_ around any human stranger. After which, Mickey and Oswald stayed in Toontown for a week. Mickey determined Oswald would heal in his own time. Though it was a kind gesture, the mentally scarred rabbit didn't have the confidence to meet and socialize with a new human every day.

Thus Mickey and Oswald currently spent a quiet day sweeping up pine needles shed by the Christmas trees in the golden ballroom. Oswald wiped the sweat off his brow. He considered asking again why the mouse had multiple trees in multiple rooms when one tree in the living room would have sufficed. But he knew he wouldn't get a better answer than the last time he asked. 'You can never have enough Christmas, my tail.' Oswald grumbled in his mind. The rabbit dropped the broom on the floor, and straightened his back from its slouching position. Craning his neck upward, Oswald followed a line of green garland with yellow lights winding up a pillar. The end of the garland strand lead to a reef, tied with a red bow. Oswald counted sixteen matching pillars around the ballroom. How did he not notice those before?

"Hey, you're doing a great job." Mickey cheerfully complimented behind him. The mouse walked to Oswald's side, carrying his own broom.

"You want those down too?" Oswald inquired.

"Yeah, I'll get a ladder." Mickey offered.

"No thanks. I can handle it." Oswald insisted. The rabbit's ears rapidly rotated, making him take flight. Oswald hovered up to the reef, and began removing the wires and pins holding it in place. At least he could be grateful for a change of pace. Mickey took a few steps back, watching Oswald hover in place. On top of his severe mistrust of humans, Oswald still struggled with performing many toon tricks. Whether it was walking through a painting, accessing the correct objects from his hammerspace, or doing a spinning wardrobe change, Oswald couldn't quite get the tricks down like he did before. Lucky for him, any stunt that involved using his ears or dismembering his limbs, never failed. When Mickey was confident Oswald wouldn't fall, he marched out of the ballroom to find a ladder. If Oswald didn't need it, the mouse would put it to use. Just as Mickey pushed through the grand double doors, Minnie met him nose to nose on the other side.

"Minnie!" Mickey gasped in surprise. Minnie giggled lightly at their awkward closeness. She stepped back and handed him the only cordless phone they had in the house.

"Phone for you." She explained, shuffling away a second later.

"Oh, thanks." Mickey acknowledged. He greeted the caller, assuming that his conversation was private. However the long eared toon inside the ballroom unintentionally overheard the mouse's every word. "Hello?"

"Ehh... what's up, Doc?"

"Bugs?" Mickey smiled.

"Didn't t'ink ya'd hear from me again, did ya?" The Looney Tune remarked teasingly.

"Actually I've been trying to get a hold of ya for a while now. I gotta tell ya something important!" Mickey beamed.

"You found da treasure." Bugs guessed impassively.

"Yeah, I found the treasure alright. It was Oswald the whole time!" Mickey exclaimed. "We were way off about the gold and riches. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit didn't hide or steal the treasure. Oswald _is_ the treasure!" The mouse calmed his voice. "Walt called him a treasure, because before I came along, Oswald was his priceless, irreplaceable, pride and joy." Bugs painted a picture in his mind out of new found facts.

"Dat book said Walt created the 'Oswald' series." He recalled. "The lucky rabbit himself, was Walt's creation." Bugs figured.

"Just the same as me. We're practically brothers." Mickey confirmed. "Walt loved him like his own son. That's why he set up the snow globe quest so I could find Oswald. Remember how the books said Walt lost control of Oswald's series? Oswald was created a Universal toon under contract, and when Walt had to quit, Oswald was dissociated with anything Disney. So we're gonna get his copyrights back to Disney, just like Walt always wanted!" The mouse rejoiced.

"That's great. Gotta give the man credit for not playing the 'treasure was inside you all along' cliché." Bugs droned indifferently. The mouse sensed something was wrong. The looney rabbit wasn't asking any questions. Bugs didn't even sound impressed or relieved that his friend had achieved his goal.

"What's the matter, Bugs?" Mickey suspected. "I thought you'd be happier."

"I _am_ happy for ya, Doc. Ecstatic. Thrilled." The grey rabbit insisted. "I'm just exhausted. Didn't sleep well last night."

"Oh. Well anyway, I've got more good news." Mickey proceeded warily. "That inkwell you held onto for safekeeping..." On the other end of the line, Bugs' face turned green with guilt.

"You mean da one Ortensia lodged in me ear?" Bugs needlessly asked.

"Of course, that one." The mouse replied. "I found out it belongs to Oswald and Ortensia. O.R. Junior is supposed to be Oswald's son." Mickey revealed. Bugs shielded his eyes in shame.

"...Really?" The rabbit stammered.

"Yeah, so now Oswald will hold on to the inkwell until we find Ortensia, or until the ink's used to animate a child toon." Mickey foretold excitedly. "I know plenty of animators who would be more than willing to do the job, especially after they hear what Oswald's been through."

"Uh-huh." Bugs agreed numbly.

"And I know this will be really great for Oswald. So if you could drop off the inkwell as soon as possible, that'd be swell." The mouse went on.

"Listen, Doc!" Bugs interrupted. "Remember _I_ called _you_. I gotta get somet'ing off my chest."

"Okay. So what did you wanna tell me?" Mickey wondered.

"I'm gonna be straight wit' ya, Doc. Ya ain't gonna like this." Bugs warned. Whatever _this_ was peaked Mickey's curiosity, as well as the curiosity of Oswald. From the full height of a pillar, Oswald carelessly dropped the decorative reef, just like he'd done to the last five. While flying over to the next pillar, the rabbit intently listened to the caller's next words. A rotten feeling in his gut told him Bugs Bunny was up to no good. "Dat inkwell ya trusted me wit'..." Bugs started.

"Yeah?" The mouse responded.

"I lost it." Bugs confessed.

"WHAT?!" Mickey exploded. Suddenly a loud 'CRASH' echoed off the ballroom walls. The phone fell from Mickey's hand as he frantically burst through the doors. His eyes immediately darted to the right side of the room. Oswald's motionless body laid on the floor face up. Whilst Mickey dashed across the wide ballroom he had time to notice the garland was only half unraveled from the pillar beside the rabbit. Mickey knew Oswald had fallen. He stumbled to his knees beside Oswald, and desperately gripped his brother's shoulder.

"Oswald! Are you okay?!" Mickey cried. Oswald's eyes slid back and forth. Black motion lines that weren't quite stars popped over the inkblot's face.

"N-no joy in Mudville. Mighty Casey has struck out." Oswald moaned, before losing consciousness. While crazy talk after a hard blow was a good sign for a toon, Mickey still worried for his brother. Acting on adrenaline, he called to Minnie for help, and left Oswald in her care the moment she raced in. Mickey couldn't stand waiting another second to give Bugs a piece of his mind. He stomped out of the ballroom and snatched the phone off the floor.

"You snake in the grass!" Mickey cursed.

"Yelling will not fix anyt'ing." Bugs lectured. "But if it makes ya feel bettah, fire away. I desoive it." He submitted.

"I can't believe you lost it! I _trusted_ you with an unanimated life! And you betrayed my trust! That was supposed to be my nephew, Bugs! How could you do this?!" The mouse raged. "Do you even have any idea where it could be?!"

Nine years later... ... ...

"United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru..."

* * *

 **(8/16/16)  
Author's Note:  
A.) And that's the end, everybody! Until the sequel, that is. My plan is to make the sequel an Animaniacs fic, and the following sequel a Looney Tunes fic. I know it would be easier to keep this trilogy all within the Disney fandom. But one thing I've noticed as I take many notes on the sequels, is the plot is deviating very far from Mickey and friends. So this may seem confusing at first, but it's how I'm going to tell the rest of Oswald's story and... someone else's. Stay tuned for the next instalment in the Treasure trilogy: Treasures of the Inkwell.**

 **B.) Every animated Disney movie produced in Walt Disney's lifetime was in some way referenced in this fic. (plus a few later ones). Did you catch all the references? Some are better hidden than others.**

 **C.) Finally, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, favorited, alerted, or just read every chapter. Especially to the reviewers, thank you so much. You guys gave some of the nicest feedback I've ever read. I'm glad to know my first full length Disney fanfic. was so well loved and there's an audience out there wanting more. Thanks to you, there will be more Toontown adventures to come.**

 **(10/21/16)  
A.) The sequel is up! Whoo-hoo!  
**


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